


Everybody Loves Goku!

by TheBehemoth



Series: Everybody Loves Goku Series [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Comedy, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Paranormal, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Wordcount: 50.000-100.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 22:26:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 53,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4582428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBehemoth/pseuds/TheBehemoth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a series of bizarre circumstances, Goku and Vegeta find themselves living together. Goku wants to be best of buds, and Vegeta…doesn't. Ghosts, love, and awkwardness galore! Goku x Vegeta yaoi. Uke Goku.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! I'm just re-posting this story here so I can share it with a new crowd. It was originally completed in 2008 on Fanfiction.net. But it may deserve a better home here. 
> 
> Also, I've taken a few liberties in terms of when certain canon events occurred, but I wouldn't say they're drastic enough to warrant this full AU. This takes places after the Buu Saga, but it was written before Battle of Gods, Resurrection of F, or any of Dragon Ball Super was released.
> 
> Yes, there is gay sex later on. But there are also tons of laughs. Enjoy, yo.

**_Kakarot has just sent you a text message!_ **

_What the fuck?_ Vegeta stared at the screen of his cell phone with a raised brow. "How—how do I—"

"Just press that dial right there. God, Vegeta."

And thus began another moment in Vegeta's life where he would have to learn to accept a bizarre Earth custom. For the last hour and a half, Bulma had opened him up to a whole new world of communication possibilities that ironically lacked much communication. Capsule Corp in the past had equipped him with cellular devices that had done just fine; babbling to a multitude of idiots wasn't a favorite hobby of his anyway. If he could talk and hear the other person on the opposite line, he considered a device sufficient. It took days of viewing his son key away at a phone to finally care about what 'texting' was.

Suffice it to say, he wasn't impressed.

"This is asinine." Vegeta opened the text message on the small phone Bulma had bought for him. Sadly, his gloves and large fingers defied any sort of logic of possessing such a tiny thing. The more he became aware of the fact, the more his temper had begun to build.

"It's all the new rage, Vegeta. For a Saiyan, you really need to get a grip." Both of them were seated at the edge of Vegeta's bed, the comforter pulled back. Bulma snorted and pressed her face against his cheek in order to get a better view of the glowing screen between his palms. "Let me see what it says."

**_Hey Vegeta!_ **

Vegeta nearly fell over. "Is that all he had to say?!"

"Well," Bulma exhaled. "That's pretty much the breadth of text conversations."

"But that's—" He stopped to think.  _Pure Idiocy. Moronic. Illogical. Offensive, even!_  "Stupid," he finally settled on. "And if Kakarot wanted to tell me something, why couldn't he just call? Doesn't 'texting' defeat the whole purpose of this piece of trash?"

"Look, Vegeta." Bulma stood up off the bed and placed her hands on her hips. The Prince looked up at her with slight admiration. It was apparent that earlier she shoved a pair of lab goggles to the top of her head in a hurry; her blue hair was a twisted mess trapped under a band of rubber that kept the instrument strapped to her scalp. Earlier she was out of breath when she came bouncing through his door holding the new phone. While she was far from her younger self, she appeared very childish. Her lips were pink and face bare of any make-up. Vegeta cocked his head oddly and continued to stare.

Bulma snapped her fingers beside his right ear. "Earth to Vegeta! Did you hear a thing I just said?"

"Uhm," what the only thing he could muster after shaking himself out of reverie.

"I  _said_ that if you want to stay with the old times, then so be it. But Goku seems to  _like_ staying ahead." She bit her lip at a pause. "If you catch my drift."

Vegeta's mouth fell open. "If you are suggesting that Kakarot stays ahead of me in power—" The phone suddenly made a strange  _blip!_ noise.

"What just happened?!"

"Goku sent you another message while you were wasting time complaining. Look." She grabbed the phone from Vegeta and opened the message:

**_REPEAT_ **

**_From: Kakarot_ **

**_Hey Vegeta!_ **

"You need to reply back."

"Give me the phone, woman!" Vegeta snatched the cell back and immediately sought about the task of replying to his rival. He didn't want to send something as stupid as a hello. Becoming self conscious, he turned the phone away from Bulma's view as his thumbs struggled to press onto the correct keys. Finally he sent his message:

**_I'm trying to figure this stupid shit out._ **

"You have no class, Vegeta." Her chin was now resting on his shoulder so she could steal a second glance at the phone's screen.

"I have more class in my thumb than in your entire body." His shoulders bounced a bit as he laughed to himself. "Trust me, I've been with you long enough to know how true that is." Bulma opened her mouth to argue when the phone made another inappropriate  _blip!_  Vegeta opened up the new message from Goku:

**_...lol?_ **

The two sat in silence. Vegeta kept his eyes glued to the screen as he felt his cheeks start to burn. He cleared his throat.

"What does  _el-oh-el_  mean?"

Bulma nearly screamed with laughter. "You're hopeless!"

Vegeta gently shoved her peering face off his shoulder. "Enough! I'm calling Kakarot to end this foolishness right now."

Bulma doubled over and clutched her stomach to ride off the last waves of laugher. Vegeta's face was flaming red now, which only made Bulma burst into a new fit of giggles. "You're too adorable!"

"Shut it!"

She wiped a tear from her eye before looking Vegeta in the face. "Yeah, sweetie." Catching her breath, she waved a hand at him. "You call him. That's probably what's best for you at this moment." Ending with a wink, she pulled her goggles back down over her eyes and left the room.

Vegeta's only company was now the soft sound of the air conditioner blowing tufts of coolness through the vents circling the top of his room. The sound seemed to mock him, make him more aware of the fact that he was seething. He ran his free hand through his spiky hair. Automatically he went to his contacts list and selected Goku's name. He waited as ringing filled his line. A moment later the familiar voice answered.

"...Hello?"

"Kakarot?"

"Yeah?"

Embarrassing silence filled the phone's receiver. What  _was_ his point in calling Goku? He'd spoken to the clown only a few times by phone in the past, messages between them usually unnecessary. When Goku wanted something, he'd normally just show up at the Capsule Corp front door. Perhaps hearing about him getting a new phone had inspired Goku to become more annoying.

"Uh...How have you...been lately?"  _Oh, Kami, I sound as if I actually care._ Vegeta smacked his forehead. Perhaps today would be a new record for moments of dumbassery.

"Oh! Uh…I've been okay."

Vegeta was taken aback. At this point in any conversation with Goku, the younger Saiyan would be flapping his lips away about the first thing that had popped into his head. Talking was a sport he was nearly good at as fighting. Today he was strangely quiet. "That's good, I guess," was all Vegeta could think to reply with.

More silence. Vegeta suddenly found his kneecap to be of extreme interest and began to scratch it.

"So how's the new phone?" Goku said finally.

"I think it's garbage."

Goku giggled a bit. "Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that." Vegeta then heard him inhale over the line, as if preparing to say something else, only to end it with a bizarre cough.

"What was  _that?_ "

"What was what?" Goku's innocent voice was painfully evasive.

"You were going to say something."

"I was not."

Not up for a long exchange leading nowhere, Vegeta sighed with resignation."I'm getting off the phone." He brought the cell away from his ear, only to hear a sharp cry from the receiver.

"Wait! Vegeta?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to be busy later on?" Goku's voice wavered a bit on his last word.

The building tension in Vegeta's chest lifted a bit. He had called Goku because of the stupid text message. Of course. He'd forgotten. And Goku had obviously wanted something. "Why? Do you want to spar?"

"Um, I guess."

"You  _guess?_ "

"I mean. Well—"

"Stop beating around the bush and get to the point."

"What I wanted to say was that we could always do something else other than fight."

_Something else?_ "Kakarot, are you touched in the head? What else would I possibly want to do with you? Go out on a date?"

Silence again. After a few moments, Goku responded slowly, which struck the Prince as odd. "Thanks, Vegeta. Always good to know I have a friend when in need."

"Well, I do try."

"Anyway," Goku sighed, "I suppose I could come over and fight for a while."

Vegeta was stricken with a thought. For the past year or so, both Saiyans had been wrapped up for the longest time in having spats, ranging from mildly playful to down-right cruel. Vegeta didn't know why they occurred, but he wasn't afraid to admit to himself that he enjoyed them.

But most of all, he enjoyed initiating them. A lot. "You suppose? What else do you have to do that would be more important than fighting me?"

"A million things!"

"Name one!"

"Ah-uh-eating!"

Vegeta laughed. "While normal people would have said paying off bills or maybe seeing their children...The first thing you mention is stuffing your face. I'm disappointed, but not surprised." Vegeta prepared to laugh again, only to be sent into a state of shock by what Goku said next.

"Oh? And what bills are  _you_  paying off, Vegeta?"

**_OUCH_** _._  "Shut-up, moron!" Vegeta blushed for the second time that hour as he sat through Goku nearly dying in a fit of laughter on the other end.  _The ass!_  "Fine!" he half-yelled, hoping to quiet Goku, "If you come over we can fight  _and_ eat, therefore narrowing down your list of one million different things to do."

"Fine with me," Goku said after lowering his voice to a chuckle. And at that very moment Vegeta could imagine it—Goku smirking due to his newly-won victory over the phone. Years ago Vegeta would have hunted the third-class down and attempted to beat him senseless for even talking to him in such a manner. But now, Vegeta found the image of Goku smirking to be a warming rather than annoying sight.

Still, he was pissed. "Fine."

"I'll meet you at our spot, then." Goku's laughter had ebbed away.

"Yes."

"Alright."

Silence once more.

"I'm truly getting off the phone now, Kakarot."

"Right."

Vegeta ended the call and shoved the offensive device back into the clip on his side. Stretching a bit, he leaned back onto his bed until he collapsed onto the sheets. He closed his eyes.

_I can't believe Kakarot had the balls to say that._

And he laughed out loud before spreading his arms across the bed enough to where his hands dangled off the sides.

Suddenly he opened his eyes and frowned.

"BULMA!"

"WHAT?" screamed back a voice used to communicating through layers of steel and cement.

"Kakarot IS COMING OVER TO EAT!"

No response. Knowing Bulma, he figured she was already on her way to do some damage control. Having two hungry Saiyans at one dinner table was a problem that needed hours of dedicated pre-planning.

* * *

_One. Two..._ Goku stretched himself from left to right, then bent over; still he kept his eyes up in anticipation for the arrival of his sparring partner. It was a breezy and fair afternoon, and luckily there was little humidity. The sky was tinted pink and only a few clouds permeated the expanse, appearing lost and odd. The Saiyan took his eyes off the heavens and viewed the ground before him. He was standing in an immense clearing several miles from Capsule Corp, rolling forest surrounding the clearing itself. Not too far away was a cliff that dove hundreds of feet into a waterfall valley, one Goku would have explored for fish had he not the invitation of a hot meal that evening. And lately he had few hot meals he didn't cook for himself.

There was an unspoken understanding between him and Vegeta: if they were to fight, it would always be  _here_. Of course not always in the exact same spot, but in the same general area.  _Funny how we communicate better when not speaking_ , Goku thought.

Long ago he blasted away any surviving plant life from the dying site, careful to make sure there weren't any large animals living there as well. He honestly made an effort—unlike Vegeta—to not destroy everything and every _one_ in sight if he could help it.

"I wonder what's taking him so long," he whined. He wished he at least had his phone so he could text Gohan at work. His stomach was also growling again. A moment later he picked up on Vegeta's energy and gazed up.

"Vegeta!" he yelled, knowing the other Saiyan couldn't hear him, but enjoying the name in his mouth nonetheless. The two had developed something that resembled a real friendship instead of strained camaraderie—which meant that Goku felt comfortable showing a smidgen of excitement whenever Vegeta came around. The thought that he could be dead wrong—that Vegeta still hated his guts and only met up with him to cure boredom—naturally made more sense than the notion that they were real friends. But Goku pretended not to care.

Vegeta flew down and landed gently in front of Goku, arms crossed. His mouth twitched. "What the hell are you wearing?"

Goku looked down at his chest. "Oh, this?"

"Yes. That."

Goku grinned. "It's a Capsule Corp jacket that Bulma gave—"

"I  _know_  what it is!" Vegeta screeched. He grasped onto an edge of the cropped denim jacket. "Why are you wearing it?!"

"Uh." Goku was completely dumbfounded. "Because it looks cool?"

Vegeta fell over. "They're not pieces of  _merchandise_ , you idiot!"

_What's his deal?_  Goku scratched the back of his head. "Geez, Vegeta. I didn't know you were so sensitive about what I wear."

"Sensitive!" Vegeta yelled back, eyes wide. "I swear to the  _gods_ , Kakarot," he stomped his foot into the dirt like a toddler, "I won't walk around looking like you!"

Goku took a closer look at Vegeta's attire and laughed. "Oh! I didn't even notice! We're matching today, aren't we?"

"Matching!" It was the only word Goku understood in a string of curses that weren't in any language he knew. "I can't fucking believe this!"

Goku saw that Vegeta's jacket was the same color and style as his: black and cropped a few inches above the waist. But while Vegeta donned spandex, Goku had on a regular white tee and a loose pair of pants.

"I want you to—No, I  _command_  you to take it off  _this instant_!"

Goku smirked. "What if I don't want to take it off?"

Their eyes met before they both disappeared.

Quietness seeped into the area. Nothing moved until—

"—Nng!" Goku coughed as Vegeta slammed his right elbow square into his back. He felt his neck snap; white searing pain tore at his eyes as he found himself looking down dozens of feet above the ground. They had both appeared in mid-air, fight fully initiated.

Goku stopped himself halfway the distance from the ground after the attack flung him downward. Quickly he whipped around to eye his opponent. Vegeta was floating above him with a smirk on his face. In his left hand he clutched a sleeve of Goku's Capsule Corp jacket.

"Wha!" Goku began to pout. He glanced down and saw that his left sleeve had been ripped off without him even knowing!

"You sneaky little…" But he could only grin as adrenaline pumped through his veins. Vegeta's triumphal expression immediately fell as he tried to comprehend the new look on Goku's face. Aware that his opponent was distracted, Goku decided to take advantage.

"You want it off? Fine." He took the cuff of the remaining jacket sleeve between his teeth and pulled until it slid off the entire length of his arm. Slowly.

He looked up to see Vegeta's reaction. Hoping for anger, excitement, embarrassment, he instead got…

_What the..._

Vegeta was in a trance, mouth wide open and face blushing. Goku raised a brow. A second passed and the look cleared Vegeta's face, replaced with utter fury.

Goku knew he was in for it and didn't give a damn. He flung the jacket away from his body and watched it flap in the breeze during its decent to the ground. Vegeta powered up to Super Saiyan and was pummeling him before he knew it.

The two spent hours punching, dodging, and blasting. Goku sometimes had the upper hand before having it snatched away by a clever move by Vegeta, and just as easily the boards were turned to Goku's favor once more. Soon both were in the realm of Level 2, and the lust to hurt and inflict grew along with the slanting rays of a setting sun. At one instance Goku punched Vegeta hard enough to send blood spraying out of his mouth and nose, and he swore he saw Vegeta cackle, as if basking in the pleasure of pain. It was sadism in its purest form, he thought, a desire that coursed naturally through Saiyan blood. Goku easily accepted—no,  _enjoyed_  it—whenever he sparred free of purpose.

Their fighting seemed to reach no end. That was until—

_gRRRP_.

"Vegeta!" Goku cried out. Vegeta stopped in mid-punch, teeth bared.

"I'm  _starving!_ " Goku clutched his stomach. Another sound emitted from his bowels, this time resembling a dull roar.

Vegeta eyes widened in disbelief. "You just don't want me to beat you!"

"You know that isn't true." Goku batted large puppy-dog eyes. "I swear that after we eat, we can start back again at this very same moment. With your arm up like that and everything!"

"You are so pitiful, Kakarot," Vegeta said with a note of defeat. "Sometimes I'm ashamed I even make acquaintance with you." He powered down and began to float back to the damaged clearing below. Goku followed in suit, golden hair fading to black.

"I hope you know," Goku said while wagging a finger in Vegeta's face, "I'm going to tell Bulma what you did to my jacket. That wasn't nice at all!"

Vegeta grunted. "You can whine all you want. But I don't want to see you wearing that thing ever again. I happen to like that type of jacket, and I'm not about to stop wearing it just because you want to look like me." Vegeta brought his index finger up to his nose to rub beneath his nostrils. Blood dripped off his finger as he brought it away from his face to inspect it. "Bulma will bitch if she sees us like this, so let's clean up quick before meeting her."

He kicked off the ground and flew back into the direction of Capsule Corp. Goku began to sputter.

"Wait—!" Goku scrambled around the ground to grab the remains of his jacket before flying off behind Vegeta. Within a few minutes he was following the smaller Saiyan into an open window in the side of the looming Capsule Corp dome building.

"Where are we going?"

"To the washroom," Vegeta said shortly. Goku looked around and found himself in a half-bathroom: there was no shower stall. Only a lone pristine sink and toilet occupied the small space. The two bumbled a bit when they tried to get to the sink at the same time.

"Get out of the way, Kakarot!"

"Stop, I'm just trying to wash my face off!" Goku stuck out his tongue in annoyance before turning on the hot water faucet. He cupped his large hands beneath the stream, relishing the heat. Gently he splashed his face and wiped off layers of blood and dirt; he looked up in the sink mirror afterward to see that he was borderline acceptable. Vegeta did the same but decided to also peel off his gloves to wash his hands.

"Ugh," Goku said. "I wish I could take a shower."

Vegeta said nothing. Goku mumbled and hopped back onto the windowsill after getting bored watching the Prince cleanse himself. "Are you ready?"

The smaller Saiyan was drying his hands on a maroon towel hanging beside the sink. "Yes."

Goku flew out of the bathroom, zooming around the building until the front entrance was in his sight. The sun was barely kissing the horizon, and twilight was now gracing the building's front lawn with looming darkness. He felt Vegeta's ki not too far behind him. Within a few seconds they were both standing at the front entrance of Capsule Corp. Nervousness nipped away at Goku's esteem as he stood next to Vegeta. Waiting for the inevitable.

"GOKU!" The warm sound of Bulma screaming his name filled his ears before he saw her. From behind he felt a small body latch onto his waist. She had attacked him with a hug.

"Goku!" she repeated. Goku turned around to accept her hug fully, and saw that she was wearing a casual pair of blue jeans and a company t-shirt. Warmth filled his chest at the knowledge of having a friend show him affection. It had been so long since he'd seen anyone besides Bulma and Vegeta…

After withdrawing her face from his broad chest, she wrinkled her nose. "You're an absolute mess."

Goku threw a glance at Vegeta, who appeared apathetic.

Her eyes roamed his body. She was inspecting. "And what is that you're holding?"

Goku held up the torn jacket. Without even having to say anything, she shot Vegeta a glare.

"What!" he cried in defense.

"Don't worry, Goku. I'll get you another one." A pleasant smile came back to her face. Apparently nothing would falter her happiness tonight.

Goku still had a hand on her shoulder from their hug. He stared down at her with a hard expression on his face; now it was his turn to study. "I haven't seen your hair up like that since you were Goten's age." She laughed and flipped her ponytail in mock modesty. But Goku knew if he had said what he wanted to say—that he hadn't seen her like that since she was  _young_ -he wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting a free meal. When it came to food, his brain usually kicked into motion.

So he kept it simple. "You look very pretty!"

Bulma sighed. "I haven't seen you around here enough, Goku. I mean, yeah, when you come to visit Vegeta, but even then you just run off with him. What have you been up to?" Then silently, she added, "How have you been doing?"

Aware of where the conversation was going, Goku turned his head and smiled at Vegeta. "I think it would be better to eat first and talk later."

"That's the best idea I've heard all day," Vegeta said suddenly, his voice sounding course in comparison to the soft words exchanged between Goku and Bulma. "And with the fact that it came out of Kakarot's mouth, that's saying a lot." He spun on his heel and made his way through the main doors of the building, bored with watching the conversation. Bulma automatically linked her arm with Goku's and lead him inside.

He still wasn't used to the impressiveness of the building. Over the past few years it had undergone renovations, and the main entrance led to a large foyer containing several new lifts that zoomed off to different departments. But Bulma led Goku away to a smaller lounge room that lacked as much confusion. While the ceiling didn't tower above his head like the main entrance, it still raised a good fifteen to twenty feet above the floor. Plush carpet was now beneath his dirty shoes, and he felt guilty.

"Just rest here on the couch while I get things ready in the kitchen." Bulma nearly shoved Goku into the couch's plush cushions. But he grinned and stretched his limbs in response.

"No problem."

She left through a sliding metal door at the opposite side of the room. Goku continued to stretch and gaze around. He was sore in more places than he thought.

"Kami, this place is huge," he said. He let out a long whistle. Everything was neat and clean and color-coordinated. There was another couch opposite the one he sat on across the room, as well as several cushioned chairs and ottomans. He shook his head."I wouldn't blame Vegeta a second for wanting to stay here."

Immediately he clapped his hand over his mouth, looking around to see if anyone had heard.  _I have got to shut-up!_

He knew about the current relationship Vegeta and Bulma had, but never brought it up directly in conversation. Of course Vegeta still loved Bulma—even if he had never admitted it—but Goku could tell that the two simply weren't as connected as before. They weren't as much of a couple compared to years ago, when Goku or anyone else watching closely enough could catch glimpses of one stealing a kiss from the other. Or when Vegeta would stroke her hand purposely away from the eyes of nosy friends, meaning to say everything he couldn't say, with a simple touch.

But they didn't do that anymore. They seemed more like…friends. Right?

_Maybe that's just wishful thinking_.

He pushed the though to the back of his mind. Guilt replaced it. Why would he want them  _not_  to be together anyway? Bulma was his best friend, and Vegeta ceasing to love her would break her heart. He was deeply confused as to why he even thought about the couple—so he decided to turn his attention toward the long glass table in front of the sofa. It was littered with picture frames he ignored when he had first sat down. Picture frames filled with…

"That's Gohan!" he gasped. In one frame was a picture of him and his eldest son. Gohan was dressed in a bright yellow top and still donned his furry tail. It seemed like the Gohan of yesteryear existed forever ago.

"I wonder when we took this," Goku said aloud, rubbing the side of the frame with a thumb. For a moment his heart ached. Quickly he tore his eyes away and began to scan the other picture frames.

"Ah. There's Piccolo. I know he didn't sit for that one. And there's Yamcha!" Goku chuckled to himself at the idea of Yamcha still having a presence in Bulma's life while Vegeta paraded about. He continued to scan the frames, until he froze upon one placed at the very corner of the table.

It was a duplicate of his wedding picture.

Goku's eyes widened at his younger self. Of course, he had always found himself to be youthful looking…But seeing  _this_ was unbelievable.

_I look so tiny! I bet Vegeta got a couple of laughs out of this one._   _Damn!_

His body seemed so less muscular yet virile. His expression in the photo was also painfully simple, as if he knew how dumb he looked and didn't care to hide it. His eyes were staring at the equally as youthful woman attached to his arm. He remembered how confused he was while looking at her, not even knowing what he was getting himself into, what love was. Chichi had kissed and clung to him with as much hope an innocent young bride could have.

"But Chichi is dead," Goku said abruptly.

" **NO, I'M NOT."**

All the color drained out of his face. His mouth drew open to scream, yell, cry, do  _anything_ , but he only sat frozen on the couch in utter terror.

The young Chichi in his wedding photo turned and  _roared_  at him.

_Oh my gods HOLY SHIT._

Finally he screamed. He jumped off the couch, the glass table flying toward the other side of the room away from his rising power. It crashed into the wall along with the dozens of photography frames.

"Goku?" Bulma came running into the lounge. A pair of giant green oven mitts covered both her hands. Behind her was a frowning Vegeta.

"Gho-gho-ghoo," was all Goku could make out. His bottom lip was quivering and his eyes were wide.

"You're white as a sheet, Goku!"

"SHE'S HERE!" he screamed, flying straight into the air. His teeth were chattering loud enough for Bulma and Vegeta to hear across the room. "I heard—I saw—!"

"Who are you talking about? No one else is here," Vegeta said.

"I have—I gotta go," Goku breathed heavily.

"But the food is ready!" Bulma said.

Goku stared at her. "I'm not hungry anymore."

At hearing himself say such a thing, he thought the world would maybe topple in on itself, or galaxies would randomly collide. Even Vegeta's mouth was hanging open. But it was true: Son Goku lost his appetite for the first time in his life. He sped for the door to make a quick exit.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta appeared beside Goku and managed to grasp onto his forearm before he could make a clean getaway. "What's wrong with you?"

Goku ripped his arm from his grasp."I just have to get out of here. I can come over another time, okay?" He was starting to hyperventilate. "I have food back at my place. I'll be okay!"

"But—Goku—"

"Just gotta get some fresh air." Sweat started to form on his upper lip as a cold chill rose to his nose and temples.

"Now you just hold on a second, Goku—"

"See ya," was the last thing he said before he pressed two fingers to his forehead and disappeared.

****


	2. Part Two

"What the hell just happened in there?!" Vegeta yelled through a mouthful of noodles. "I've never seen the idiot worked up this bad."

Bulma slowly picked at the food on her plate, eyes downcast. She and Vegeta were sitting alone at a vast table of full course meals and desserts. But the amount of food didn't weigh on her mind as she saw Vegeta easily take up for Goku's lack of presence by eating twice as much as he would normally. She propped her chin into her hand and groaned. "Poor Goku is hurting."

"What for? I didn't beat him that badly today."

Bulma raised her face to frown at him. "Do you have any semblance of a heart? Chi-Chi is dead, Vegeta!"

The Saiyan slowed the uptake of his noodles only by a fraction and grunted in response. He had known about Goku's dead harpy for a while now, and wasn't exactly sure how to respond. Surprisingly Goku had requested a private funeral where only immediate family members could attend. Bulma was all up in arms about it. It wasn't until months later that Goku came back into contact with him in particular, their sparring sessions coming into existence abruptly with little explanation. Goku never brought up Chi-Chi, and Vegeta didn't question. He figured everything was going fairly well.

"What does her death have anything to do with Kakarot turning into a raving loon? A hunger-less raving loon at that?"

She smashed her fist on the table. "Dammit, Vegeta!  _Everything_!"

He stopped slurping the noodles entirely. "Oh, really?"

"I know I would be expecting too much from a person like you to understand," she said, "but when a man's wife dies he can never be the same person he was before. This little outburst only proves my point. He isn't stable at all." Suddenly she gasped. "He may even have depression!"

Vegeta choked on his noodles and burst out laughing at the idea of a depressed Goku, but quickly shut-up when Bulma bared her teeth at him. "Settle down, woman. I know that Kakarot probably cared a lot for his wife, but it wasn't as if he made an effort to be around her all of the time."

Bulma's eyes were wide. "What are you getting at?"

Vegeta slurped up more noodles, Bulma growing furious as he continued to ignore her question. After a full minute of chewing and thinking, he finally paused to give an answer.

"What I'm saying is that it looked like he took any chance he could to get away from her." He eyed a dessert across the table before returning his gaze to Bulma. "If you asked him a year ago which he would rather do—spend an afternoon with his wife or spar with  _me_ ," he said with a prideful air, "which do you think he would pick?" And before Bulma could speak, he held up a threatening forefinger. "If his woman wasn't standing right beside him as he answered, that is."

Bulma's lip was curled into a frown before she spoke. "I'm guessing he'd pick the same option you would."

Vegeta dropped his chopsticks. "Don't go there with me. Not right now."

The two stared at each other in silence. Abruptly, Bulma pushed her chair out from under the table and walked away. "I'm going to call Goku."

She withdrew her cell phone from her pocket and walked to the kitchen counter. She rested an elbow on the surface while holding the phone to her ear. Vegeta continued to stare before she turned around again.

"He's not picking up."

Vegeta only shrugged. As he continued to eat, Bulma glared a hole into him while simultaneously tapping an acrylic nail onto the surface of the counter. Click. Click.

_Dammit!_

He got up from the table and threw his hands up above his head. "Fine! I'll go over his house now and find out what's wrong, okay? Just stop...being the way you are."

Bulma's lips quirked for a second at Vegeta's sudden act of—generosity?—and she nodded in response. "Thanks, Vegeta."

"Whatever." Slowly he made his way to the building entrance and walked out the door. First feeling the springiness of the grass lawn, his body burst into a flash and took off into the night.

* * *

_Idiot. If I didn't need him as a sparring partner, I wouldn't even be out here._

A good hour after leaving home, Vegeta found himself flying through a torrent of wind and rain high in the atmosphere. The cold attacked every part of his body, but he nevertheless kept his mind focused on the goal of getting to Goku's house. In his mind he counted his task as another act of dumbassery to add to his list for the day. He was even more annoyed by the fact that it was bright and clear earlier, lending no hint to the shitty weather he was currently barreling through. But his complaints eased some when Goku's house came into view.

Before Chi-Chi died, she had convinced Goku to move the family into a home closer to the beach and further away from the city. Vegeta vaguely remembered Goku complaining about how her only reason for moving was to get Goten further away from an "urban atmosphere"—not that the Sons ever lived anywhere urban once in their entire lives. The idea in itself was idiotic, or so Vegeta thought, and he never understood why Goku had allowed the move to happen.

 _But then again, that woman had Kakarot whipped beyond all belief_ , he thought.

After her death Goku continued to live in the home. In the past Vegeta had visited only once, remembering how happy Goku was to try and fight on sandy shore. Salty breezes whipped at the younger Saiyan's hair that day constantly. He would gaze out at the ocean's curve with intense desire, as if he wanted to rig up a boat and go sailing, or simply fly off into the distance to explore. He figured he and Goten went sailing a few times before Chi-Chi had died and Goten moved out…

Vegeta flew down and skidded a few feet on Goku's wet lawn. The rain had eased up a bit in the past few minutes. Goku's home was shrouded mostly in darkness except for one glowing light coming from an area he assumed to be the living room. A twirling column of smoke drifted from the chimney top, the faint smell of ash offending Vegeta's senses. He walked up a brick path straight to the front wooden door.

"Open up, Kakarot!" He pounded his fist right in the middle of the door several times.

"I know you're in there," he yelled, "so don't make me break down the door!"

No answer.

 _Oh, if I must_.

Dust and smoke flooded the area as Vegeta sent a low-energy blast straight through the barrier. The door flew into the depths of the house, straight into a grasping darkness that shocked Vegeta.

"Kakarot?" he shouted again. He couldn't see anything in the room except for the wooden floor that basked in moonlight from the newly opened front entrance. The smoke from the explosion was curling to the ceiling.

 _Where the hell is he?_ Irate, he stepped foot into the darkness.

" **GOKU?"**

An icy chill went up Vegeta's back.  _Who said that?_ He spun around in the darkness looking for the source of the strange voice.

"Kakarot? Is there someone here with you?" A tinge of fear had crept into his tone. What happened to the warm light he'd seen just a few minutes ago?

 **FWAP!**  Vegeta could sense that something was nearby before it hit him, but it held no tangible energy. It was as if it wielded a blunt object and decided to smash it into the back of his head after a moment of hesitation. The pain ebbed through to the front of his face to ache even there. He dropped to his knees in the dark and passed out.

* * *

Goku stepped out of the shower and stretched. " _Ahh_ , man! That was exactly what I needed!"

Languorous and exhausted, he abandoned the idea of drying himself off with a towel and decided to simply power up to dry off. There was little logic in wasting a towel when he was going to be naked later on anyway. He hadn't bothered to sleep with clothes on in ages.

He walked out of the bathroom and straight to the kitchen, suddenly remembering the incident from earlier. His stomach did a little flip. Despite the fact he got thoroughly spooked, he made a mental note to call Bulma later to apologize for acting so weird. There wasn't any way she could have known what he saw…Or at least thought he saw. She probably figured he was upset at her over something. A tiny growl also came from his stomach.

 _This is longest I've gone hungry without being in the middle of a fight._  The refrigerator was calling his name from across the kitchen linoleum. He walked closer to his prize, and reached for the handle—

He whipped his head toward the living room entrance. Senses keen and awakened, he walked slow and deliberately out of the kitchen and toward the sound. The first thing he saw was his front door lying on the couch, covered in dust.

"What—?" Goku swiveled his head around the room confused. The fire he lit earlier was still roaring. A low moan rose from the floor.

"Vegeta!" Goku bent down on one knee and dusted the smaller Saiyan off. He hadn't even noticed Vegeta's ki, an oddity seeing how close he was. Vegeta moaned as he slipped out of unconsciousness. Loudly he coughed and sent more dust swirling throughout the room.

"What happened in here?" Goku moved to prop Vegeta up, only to find that the Prince was dead weight in his arms. Vegeta sputtered a few more times before opening blood-shot eyes.

"I can't move!"

Goku pulled Vegeta's body up off the floor and against his own to make his way toward the couch. The door had landed on the couch's right side, leaving a cushion and a half of space free on the left side. Gently, Goku placed Vegeta's limp body in as less-awkward of a position he could muster.

"Great Gods, Kakarot. I come here looking for you and your house attacks me." Vegeta struggled to push himself up on the couch, only to slip back down onto the material. "And my head feels like its been split open!"

But Goku wasn't ready to hear his story just yet. "Why did you blow my door down? You could have knocked, you know!" Goku turned around to stare at his dented door.  _Crazy bastard!_  He heard a sharp cry emit from Vegeta as he continued to assess the damage of the room.

"Put some damn clothes on!" Vegeta face was flushed, and not due to his pain. "Do you traipse around here naked all the time or something?!"

"Yeah," Goku said shyly, scratching the back of his head before turning around again. "Pretty much."

"Ugh!" Vegeta squinted his eyes. Not sure if he did the gesture so that he didn't have to stare at him naked, or if he was simply bearing through pain, Goku decided then was a good time to find some boxers. He walked to his room and pulled out the first pair he found in a dresser drawer. He almost forgot to slip them on before walking back into the living room; he hopped a bit on one leg as he pulled the shorts up to his hips. Vegeta was still frozen in the position he was in when Goku had left.

"You're not looking too great, Vegeta."

"You figure?" Despite the sarcasm, Vegeta was staring at the new boxers in approval.

"You just hold on a second..." Goku once again remembered to be tender, and lifted Vegeta's head off the edge of the couch. He pressed two fingers against the back of Vegeta's skull before hearing him suck air in between his teeth in pain.

"No blood. Must not have been that bad." Gently he placed Vegeta's head back onto the couch and grinned down at him. "So what's this about my house attacking you? Looks like  _you_  attacked my house."

"I…Huh." Vegeta became oddly silent.

"What?"

"It's just that I don't really remember what happened. I mean, I remember knocking down the door because it was taking  _forever_ for you to answer, and then I woke up with a headache and the sight of your ass in my face."

"Hey!" Goku thwapped Vegeta on the forehead. "I just came out of the shower!"

"Your nakedness is no excuse. And don't hit me like that!"

Goku frowned. "In fact, I didn't even hear you blast the door down." Nothing was coming together. But he had to admit that he was probably the last person on Earth to ask to solve puzzling situations.

"Whatever. Just forget it." Vegeta turned his head to look at the glow emitting from the fireplace. "How bizarre!"

"What?"

"When I came in, it was pitch dark. But when I was outside, I could see that you have some kind of light on, or fire going in this very room."

Goku raised a brow at Vegeta, not sure what he was getting at. Vegeta only rolled his eyes.

"Anyway. The reason I came over was to try and get some sense out of that empty head of yours. Bulma made a big deal out of your grand departure."

 _Oh, no._ Goku looked down in shame. "I really didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry. I was going to call her tomorrow since it was pretty late when I got back here."  _And calmed down a little_ , he thought.

"She wasn't the only one who was worried."

Goku gawked at Vegeta, whose eyes were now closed. "Wow, I must have really done something bad to make  _you_  want to see what was wrong with me!"

Vegeta opened his eyes to give a seething look. "Don't get too happy. I just wanted to make sure you weren't over here being weird as well. But judging on what just happened, I'm not sure anymore."

 _So maybe we really are friends_ , Goku thought. The urge to touch Vegeta came upon him strong; he wanted to maybe rub his shoulder to show affection, or even give him a hug.

_A hug? Yeah, right. Wouldn't happen in a million years._

"What are you thinking about?"

Goku jumped at bit. He had been sitting too quiet for too long. "Err, nothing."

"You thinking about nothing. Sounds like you're back to normal."

Goku thwapped Vegeta's forehead again. "You should be a comedian."

"I'm only funny when you're around. And would you QUIT that!" Pain or no pain, Vegeta gave Goku a look that foretold future punishment if he continued.

Goku ignored it. "Do you think you can move now?"

Vegeta nodded a bit and started to slide off the couch. He was awkward at first, but slowly found himself standing on both feet in a solid position. A smirk was on his face for barely a second before he slid back down onto the floor.

"GAH!" he screamed, crashing straight onto his knees and then to his stomach. Scared, Goku bent down and pulled him back up so that his weight was supported against his bare chest.

"I'm-paralyzed!" Vegeta was breathing hard, panic settling in as Goku felt the Saiyan's heart thump wildly against his own chest. Instead of taking him back to the sofa, Goku bent him backwards over a knee. Vegeta was then nearly parallel to the floor.

"What are you doing?!" But Goku ignored the protests and eventually had Vegeta positioned to where he could easily lift him up into his arms. A second later Goku was off of his knee and had the Prince cradled in his arms as if he were a small child.

"Put me down! Where are you taking me?"

"Calm down, 'Geta." Goku carried the bulk out of the living room into a dark hallway. "I'm just going to put you into my bed so that you can get more comfortable."  _Is he about to puke?_  Vegeta's eyes had bulged a bit at the remark. Goku ignored the response and kicked open the door of his room before shifting in sideways.

A round windowsill was set into the left side of the wall. It let in broken rays of moonlight that in turn bled over the blue sheets stretched bare across Goku's bed. As gently as he could manage, he set Vegeta right into the middle of the mattress, who in turn rolled over onto his side. Away from Goku's view.

"I'm going to call Bulma. I used the last Senzu bean I had when I came home." Goku rummaged through a pile of clothes that had been flung onto a stool beside the window. He found his cell phone and quickly had Bulma's line ringing.

A click. "Goku!"

"Hey!" He smiled. Bulma sounded relieved instead of angry.

"Are you okay? Vegeta must have made it over there—"

"Yeah! Listen—I'm really sorry for what happened earlier." He shuffled his feet. "I just got a little scared about something that I probably imagined happen."

"Imagined? What do you mean?"

"It's nothing. Really. I'm fine."

"I'M NOT FINE!" Vegeta bellowed.

"What in the world was that? Was that Vegeta?"

"Yeah. He thought it would be cute to knock my door down, and got himself hurt."

"That is  _not_  what happened!" Over his shoulder Goku could almost feel the anger emanating from his friend. He sat down beside Vegeta on the bed, who was now curled into a tiny ball. Throwing caution to the wind, he rubbed Vegeta's shoulder a bit to calm him down.

"Don't touch me, clown!"

Goku sighed and slid his hand back onto the bed. "He told me he's paralyzed or something. I don't know how it happened, but maybe you can come over here and give him a hand?"

"Oh, great," he heard Bulma huff. "He probably deserves it, whatever it was he did to himself."

"I heard that, woman!"

She giggled. "He talks smack even when he can't move. I'll try to be over there as fast as possible." A pause. "I'm glad you're doing okay, though."

Goku cringed a bit at the...pity in her voice. Did he really seem that pathetic?

"Thanks Bulma," was all he said before hanging up. Vegeta had managed to twist his body so that he was lying on his back but had his head turned to his side, facing Goku.

"You don't for a second believe that I actually got hurt knocking down your door, do you?"

"Not really." Goku half-ignored what the Prince said and instead studied his body. Guilt panged at his conscious as he became more aware of his desire to exploit Vegeta's immobility while he still had a chance. He figured he would get a pounding later either way.

Slowly he moved his hand to the top of Vegeta's head and pressed his fingers through the spiky locks. Still not getting a response from Vegeta except an icy glare, he pressed his fingers deeper until he was running them gently through the scalp.

_That's right …Just calm down for a second…_

Almost purring at the softness, he continued to run his fingers through Vegeta's hair. Eventually he closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the texture against his hand. He even found himself gently rubbing his thumb across the sweaty forehead below him.

"Ka...Kakarot? Are you done?"

Goku nearly jumped at the sound of the confused voice and felt himself blush. Without thinking, he ripped his hand out of Vegeta's scalp.

"OW!"

"Sorry, Vegeta!" He'd nearly ripped hair out by getting his fingers caught in tangles! He eventually sorted out the mess and got his hands free of Saiyan Prince hair before looking away to hide his embarrassment.

"Don't ever do that again!"

"Sorry. I'm just feeling a bit weird tonight." He rose off of the bed and made his way out of the room before he could think of more ways to make an ass of himself.

The first task he sought to accomplish before Bulma's arrival was to at least get the door back up. It wasn't in as bad of a condition as he had assumed earlier, and would last long enough for him to build or order a new one. Out from a high cabinet in kitchen he got a few tools to get it back onto its metal hinges. One of the three hinges had been blown off completely, so Goku simply left the door supported by the two remaining ones. After finding the door's new state satisfactory, he went back into his room to put on a pair of blue jeans. He didn't want Bulma to have any more reasons to think of him as being off tonight. When he walked into his room, he saw that Vegeta's eyes were half-lidded and his head bobbing.

"Gettin' sleepy?"

"Hush." Vegeta closed his eyes completely.

Shrugging, Goku buttoned the top of his new jeans and left the room.

* * *

Vegeta could see the soft moonlight through his eyelids. Although he felt somewhat calm despite being partly immobile, he felt his stomach churn with nervousness. Goku had caressed him as if he was his own child.  _No, more than a child_ , slowly and carefully. But instead of feeling anger at being coddled by his rival, he felt pleasure at being touched so gently without reason. Of course he would have punched Goku had he been able to move, but even then he couldn't deny he had enjoyed it while it did last.

 _And I just sat here and let him do it._ He thought again.  _Not that I could do much else._

He supposed it wasn't  _that_  bad to let Goku touch him in that way. Earlier Goku had even touched his shoulder, which had taken him by complete surprise. But if the idiot wanted to show reverence towards his Prince, he was free to do so, as long as he didn't get  _too_  comfy.

Vegeta smirked.  _And also if he doesn't tear off the top of my head while he's at it._

The sound of a whirring engine came from outside. He opened his eyes and groaned. "Bulma."

A few minutes later he watched her tumble into Goku's room. She was already scowling.

"Look at you," she sighed. "You're not completely paralyzed, you big baby. Goku over the phone made it sound like you recently became a paraplegic." She carried a large bag in her right arm, which she immediately busied herself with. Out came a bottle filled with pills, something that looked like a trapped serum in a flask, and...

"A NEEDLE!" Goku screamed from behind Bulma. He was cowering behind the doorframe a few feet away.

"Come on, Goku. You're not even the one who may get a shot tonight!"

Vegeta laughed as Bulma made her way to his side with a small cup he hadn't seen previously. "I don't know what could possibly be wrong with you, but we're going to try Senzu beans first. If that doesn't work, then we'll try something a bit more specific for your problem. I had to ask Daddy for it."

He only grunted as she took the bean out of the cup and pressed it between his lips. He chewed it up quickly, ignoring its mildly tangy flavor.

"So?" Goku asked, still clinging to the doorframe.

"I think..." Vegeta attempted to raise his arm and succeeded. "Yes. I think I'm-ACK!"

"What?!"

Fresh pain seared through Vegeta's arm and tears rose in his eyes. With every movement he found that pain followed right behind, as if he were immensely sore from straining every muscle in his body.

"I can move now. It just hurts like high heaven!" It even hurt his jaw muscles to talk.

"Geez," Bulma said rather nonchalantly. "You'd think the bean just made things worse."

He grit his teeth. "Leave it to you to make things more awful than they could ever be!"

"Hey! It's not my fault you barged into here and got yourself into some kind of a mess—"

 _gRRRP_.

The couple stared at Goku. He was scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, guys. I haven't eaten all night!"

"Ugh!" they both yelled in disgust.

Goku rubbed his empty stomach. "Speaking of food, do you think you could hurry it up so I can get back to the kitchen?"

Bulma  _humphed_  under her breath and brought her attention back to Vegeta. "I've got something for real paralysis, but I'm not sure what kind of effect it'll have. I guess you could act as my little experiment." Her face softened as she withdrew the needle from earlier.

"Oh, no!"

"Shut-up, Goku!" Vegeta was taken aback at her harsh tone, and glanced up at his rival. He looked ridiculous and huge as he was now shivering. But in an anti-climactic show, the needle was in and out of Vegeta's arm before he knew it. Bulma cleaned up the small wound with gauze and pat it gently. "For humans the effects usually don't kick in for a few hours. Not sure how it will work in a Saiyan body."

The next thing that popped out of Goku's mouth almost made Vegeta dizzy. "He could stay here until it starts to work. Or at least, you know, until the morning."

 _The fuck?_  "Stuck here? In your house?" Vegeta looked scandalized. "You mean being around you...Longer than necessary?"

But he could already see the wheels turning in Bulma's head, the terrible idea gaining footing in her logic, the appeal to having what was about to happen,  _actually fucking happen!_  "Oh my gosh, I think that's a great idea!"

"No! NO!" He moved to get off the bed, only to feel more throbbing pain.

"Plus, I bet you get a bit lonely here. It wouldn't hurt if Vegeta even decided to stay a few days afterward!"

"Yeah! That sounds like fun!"

_Oh my Gods, what are they doing!_

"This is going to be great, Goku. Do you have enough stuff here to take care of Vegeta at least until tomorrow afternoon? I'm going to be busy until then."

"Of course."

"I'm not staying!" The two were making major-life decisions without him!

"Good deal. I'll be sure to get some of his clothes over here." A strange look crossed her face before she glanced over her shoulder at Goku. "Do you think you could get my keys from the living room? I left them on the sofa."

As Vegeta assumed would happen, the younger Saiyan gave her an equally strange look. "Um, sure." He dashed out of view.

Bulma leaned down and stared Vegeta in the face. "Please, do this one thing."

"What is it that you're trying to do?!"

"I need you to do this for me. No, for Goku." She rubbed his arm. "He must get so lonely here. This is the perfect chance for him to have a friend around!"

 _Noo!_  "I'm not going to be Kakarot's babysitter! And—and he isn't going to be mine!"

Her grip on his arm tightened. "Please?"

"I'd rather burn in Hell!"

Her grip on his arm intensified until he felt true pain. She was nearly crushing it. "You are going to stay here whether you like it or not." He had never heard her voice so threatening before. It was almost frightening. "And if I find out you don't like it, I swear—"

And Goku came bouncing back in, his brows furrowed. His hand was behind his head. "I didn't see your keys out there."

"Oh!" The menacing look on Bulma's face magically lifted as she set eyes on Goku. "I must have them in my purse like I thought. Thanks anyway!"

Goku smiled back. "No problem!"

On the bed, Vegeta lay helpless and in awe at Bulma.  _I can't believe I ever had children with this woman._

She looked back down at him and winked. Her death-grip had been released. "I think Vegeta will be fine in the morning, but he also might hang around for a little bit longer. Just to be safe about his condition."

"Wow, Vegeta, you really want to stay?" Goku seemed to be bubbling with excitement, but kept himself tame by biting his lower lip.

"Of course he does! Isn't that right, sweetie?"

Vegeta stared in response.

"Good!" She picked up her belongings and hurried out of the room. "I'll leave you with a few Senzu beans just incase. I'll see you tomorrow, Goku. Take good care of Vegeta." Goku followed her down the hallway and out to her car, or Vegeta assumed so.

He was amazingly angry. He would throttle Bulma when he was back to normal, and would throttle Goku as well for being the whole reason for his impairment. Then he would throttle Trunks for making him interested in texting, which had led to him calling Goku, which led to them fighting, which led to the moron coming over to eat, which had led to him spazzing out, which had led to Vegeta coming over his house,  _which had led to him being in this fucked-up situation in the first place!_

Soon Goku came back into the room, silent. Vegeta opened his mouth:

"Kakarot, I want you to know one thing and one thing only. You are lucky this didn't happen ten, or even five years ago."

"Oh...Why?"

"Because everyone and everything in this house would have been utterly destroyed." Vegeta closed his eyes. "Be happy I've shown nothing but kindness in your presence. But also be aware that may change later on. Good night."

He fell asleep.


	3. Part Three

"SHUT UP!" Any birds within a mile radius of Son Goku's house immediately fled the premises.

Goku cracked open an eye. "Mm. Vegeta must be up."

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and saw that he was lying in Goten's bed, wrapped up in his son's old scent. Morning light flooded the room with brightness and cheer, almost bringing sickness to his stomach. The room hadn't been occupied in months. The last time he had even bothered to come into the room was to change bed sheets. He had found stashed under the mattress an impressive collection of porno mags; out of reverence, he left the sheets and porn completely untouched and unturned.

Memories of the night before came to him easily: he had decided that sleeping in his  _own_ bed wasn't an option, what with Vegeta's arrival, so crashing in Goten's room was the most convenient alternative. Before dozing off, Goku had also satiated his hunger...

 _Damn! I completely cleaned the fridge out!_ He rolled over in the bed and groaned. He'd have to go shopping.

Counting to three in his head, he slid out from under the sheets and stretched. He looked down to see he still had on the blue jeans from the previous night.

"I should go check on the royal guest." He almost tripped on his path down the hallway, making a beeline to his room. He saw his door was closed.

"Vegeta?" he said softly. Creeping toward the door, he pressed an ear against the wood to hear any more bitching from the Prince. Instead he heard...

_No. Way._

Goku stifled a laugh and dashed down the rest of the hallway. He couldn't have  _possibly_  heard...what he _thought_ he heard. No chance in Hell. Never on Earth.  _Not Vegeta!_  Maybe he was being delusional again.

Finding himself in the kitchen, he decided to become useful and make breakfast from whatever scraps were left over from last night's pillage. After a few minutes, he'd dug up two full containers of oatmeal, a few cartons of eggs, half a jug of milk, and strawberry preserves. He and Vegeta would just have to eat several plates of food instead of the usual dozen.

Firing up the stove and pulling out cinnamon and butter for the oatmeal, Goku leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. How long  _would_ Vegeta be staying? For a bright moment he wondered if it would take longer than a day for Vegeta to heal. Maybe his little wakeup call meant he was all ready to go back to Capsule Corp.

Goku could probably count on his hand the few times in his life he had actually wanted someone to stay in pain, but wouldn't it be great if he and Vegeta could become closer? It was an idea he'd abandoned several times in the past, distracting himself more with Chi-Chi. But Vegeta was so much more... _enjoyable_ to be around.

Goku giggled. No one had probably ever thought time spent around Vegeta was a good time spent. Bulma probably couldn't give an impressive list of her own. But he couldn't deny that having another Saiyan around made him feel more at ease than a screaming wife. Vegeta could understand how necessary it was to fight all of the time, as well as wonder what oppositions would come into the future they would have to face.

He rummaged around in the cabinets for pancake mix, only to stop himself. The last time he cooked up a batch, they ended up stuck to the ceiling instead of his plate. He pushed the box of mix further back into the cabinet until it was shrouded in darkness.

A quarter past the hour, Goku had whipped up three large skillets filled with scrambled eggs, and two pots filled to the brim with oatmeal. He skipped the task of trying to fry any bacon, so he simply pulled out the half-eaten jumbo bag from the refrigerator.  _I must have missed this while binging last night,_ he thought while pilling all the food up into his arms. Deftly he managed to get milk, jelly, plates, and eating utensils into his grasp as well before heading back to his room.

 _Oh my Gods, he still has the radio on!_  The noise he heard earlier definitely hadn't been imagined.

_I can't believe it. The Prince of all Saiyans is seriously listening to rap!_

Deciding now or never, Goku burst into the room. "Good morning, Vegeta!"

The smaller Saiyan was leaned up against the backboard of the bed, head bobbing to the beat of the song on the radio. He had removed whatever shirt he wore the night before, as well as his boots. He turned to look at Goku's awkward presence in the doorway, and froze. His jaw dropped.

"I—uh—"

Goku edged further into the room. "You're looking a lot better this morning!"

Vegeta continued to babble.

Goku looked at the radio. "I didn't even know I could get that station."

Vegeta turned the volume down. "You wouldn't know anything about it!"

"Oh, really?" Goku plopped down the load of dishes onto his dresser. He put one hand on his hip and the other to his chin. "There was this one dance that Goten taught me a while ago."

Vegeta looked horrified. "What?!"

"Yeah!" Goku prodded his chin with an index finger and thought hard. "I think it went something like this." He crossed his feet once, then back again, and started to dance. "Soulja Boy off in this ho, watch me crank it, watch me roll—" He snapped his fingers and flung his head back.

"Oh, no!" Vegeta shielded his eyes from what was probably the most humiliating thing he had witnessed in his entire life.

"Watch me crank that Soulja Boy, then Superman that ho!" Goku lifted his arms in front of him in a mock-Superman pose and kept on singing.

Vegeta grabbed the closest pillow on the bed and buried his face in it. "I could just die right now!"

Goku bounced to his right. "YOU!"

"Shut-up, Kakarot!"

Goku bounced to his left. "YOU!"

"I swear to the Gods, I will kill myself if you don't end this right now!"

Goku stopped himself and frowned. "Is that not how you do the Soulja Boy?"

"Of course that's how you do it!" Vegeta flung the pillow away into the nearest corner of the room. "But it doesn't matter, because that isn't real rap!"

"Oh." Goku smiled. "I totally didn't know you were an expert on stuff like that."

He was basking in white sunlight, but Goku could still see that Vegeta's face was red. "There's nothing I should be ashamed of!"

"I agree."

Vegeta held his nose into the air. "If I'm going to be a real earthling, I might as well accustom myself to all genres of music."

"Right, right." Goku began to set the food on the bed. Vegeta only scooted over to make room, still upset over the spectacle Goku had made of both of them.

"And not all rap is bad!"

"I didn't say it was."

"What you heard when you walked in was the hottest shit that's out on the streets right now."

"That's some fancy lingo you're using there."

He turned his face away from Goku's view. "I don't want to hear you blabbing about it to other people. Like Bulma. Or Trunks. You have a huge mouth."

Raising a hand, Goku said, "I promise I won't tell anyone your secret."

"You don't have to be so dramatic about it!" Vegeta crossed his arms and pushed himself deeper in the pillow behind his back. But Goku could only grin, happy that he knew a part of Vegeta no one else was aware of.

"Anyway...You really are looking better this morning. I was being serious about that."

Relief came over Vegeta's face at the prospect of changing the subject. "It still hurts a bit to move." He stretched his left arm slowly. "But not as much as last night. It's nothing I haven't felt before for shorter periods of time. The shot worked. I figure—" He stared down at the breakfast foods and raised his brows. "You made all of this?"

"Yeah." Goku shoved a plate into Vegeta's free hand. He noticed that Vegeta's eyes were a bit puffy. "Did you sleep well? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course. I'm not a child, so stop mothering me." Goku amused himself by watching Vegeta gather up heaping spoonfuls of egg and oatmeal. He was most certainly well enough to eat, but when dealing with Saiyans, that didn't mean too much. "As I was saying, I figure I'm well enough to go back to Capsule Corp."

Goku's face fell. _Oh, no. He's going to leave sooner than I thought._ He made room for himself near the edge of the bed, opposite from Vegeta, and sat down Indian style.

"Don't look at me like that, Kakarot."

"Like what?"

"Like something just died inside of you right this moment. You look pitiful." Vegeta busied himself getting another plateful of eggs before speaking again. His movements were a bit jerky and stiff, making Goku stare at him in worry. "But, ah, I guess I could stay until...this evening or something."

Goku's smile was sad when he said, "You don't have to stay if you really don't want to."  _But please do._

After the two shifted on the bed a bit, the strawberry preserves Goku had brought in earlier began to tilt precariously off the side of the mattress; Vegeta quickly caught it and popped the lid open. He ignored Goku's earlier comment. "Am I going to eat all of this by myself? Because I wouldn't mind."

Goku shook his head and silently began to dig in. After heaping dozens of dripping spoonfuls of oatmeal onto his plate, Vegeta simply took one of the two pots of hot cereal and began to eat directly out of it. Goku followed suit and grabbed the second pot, forgetting his own plate entirely. He noticed Vegeta hadn't touched the bacon, so he took the whole bag for himself.

"So what is it that you do everyday? When you're not fighting with me?"

Half a strip of bacon dangled out of Goku's mouth when he replied. "I train." He put more strips of cold bacon into his oatmeal pot and mixed it in.

"I figured that much out, dolt. What else do you do? Do your brats come over a lot?"

Goku frowned. "You sure are asking a lot of questions."

"Well, I can't listen to the radio, now can I? And I can't spar. After those two forms of entertainment, all that's left is  _talking_  to you."

Eyebrows furrowed a bit, Goku continued to munch on the food. He hated when Vegeta pointed out how unpleasant his presence was, especially when it was pointed out so casually. He took the bait anyway.

"Gohan comes over sometimes. But he's got a lot to worry about now that Videl is pregnant. So I don't get to see him as much." Goku warmed at the idea of becoming a grandfather.

"Huh," was all Vegeta replied with, and continued to slurp down the oatmeal. "What about Goten?"

 _What is he trying to do?_ "I haven't seen or heard from him in a few months."

"Didn't he run away with some broad?"

Goku stopped chewing. "He went off to live with his girlfriend. Yeah."

"So why is it he decided to leave with her?"

"Damn, Vegeta, why are you being so nosy?" Goku stared down at the skillet of eggs Vegeta was eating out of along with the oatmeal; he pulled the entire thing across the bed next to his own grouping of food. He dug into it furiously and ignored Vegeta's offending sneer. "I didn't know you were so interested in my life."

"Listen. Any other day I wouldn't have cared. At all." And Goku knew he wasn't lying about that part. "But I think it's my responsibility to make sure the last person of our race isn't...Being bothered by too much."

Goku looked up and saw that Vegeta was scratching the back of his head, the act something Goku thought he'd never see.

"You are my last worthy match. If something happened to you to mess with that, I would be thoroughly pissed."

Goku leaned forward and felt Vegeta's forehead. "Are you running a fever or something?"

He slapped the younger Saiyan's hand away. "Stop it! I'm trying to  _not_  hate you at the moment, and you're ruining it!"

Goku looked down at his food. "You listen to rap  _and_ you can be nice. What else is there about you that I don't know?"

Vegeta snarled—and in a random act of childishness flung a glob of jelly straight at Goku's face.

"Hey-what the hell!"  _He could have taken my eye out!_

"Stop being an idiot and answer my goddamned question!"

Goku licked away the jelly that had landed around his mouth. "I should kick you out of my house!"

"You wouldn't! You like me too much." Vegeta leaned over the dish-cluttered bed and wiped away part of the jelly from Goku's face. In a moment of insanity and breathlessness, Goku wondered if he was going to lick the preserves straight off his fingers. But instead, much to Goku's chagrin, he wiped his hand off on the bed sheets.

"You're impossible, Vegeta."

"I know." Vegeta leaned back onto the pillow, looking rather smug. "Now answer the question. Your son."

"Right." Goku poked at the stickiness on his face and sighed a bit. "His girlfriend was pregnant when he left."

"What!"

"His girlfriend. I said she was pregnant. That's why  _she_ wanted to leave. To take care of the baby in a place where no one knew her."

Vegeta scratched his chin and looked up, as if mulling over the right way to respond. Finally, "Does your son know if it's really his?"

Goku nearly fell off the bed. "VEGETA!"

"Oh, stop it." Vegeta resumed eating and spoke with a mouth half-filled. "I wouldn't be surprised if she fucked some other loser, and put the blame on Goten."

Goku open and closed his mouth in awe. "Vegeta! That's awful!"  _How could he say something like that!_

"What? It's happened to Trunks before."

"Oh, Kami!" Goku was blushing to the point where it hurt. He covered his face with both hands.

But Vegeta smirked, enjoying the effect of the conversation."She found out it was some other guy's, though. Once the whole incident was over, I told the brat to know when to keep his dick in his pants. Earth women can be awful."

Goku kept his face hidden, completely morose. He'd never even talked to Goten about things like  _that_ , things Vegeta could obviously tell his own son with such ease. Maybe if he had been much more receptive to Goten, he wouldn't have left. Maybe Goten would have talked to him about what was going on instead of running off into the sunset to try and start a new and better life. And maybe he shouldn't have let Chi-Chi badger and control his son well into adolescence...

_Chi-Chi. Oh, no._

"Kakarot!"

"Huh?" Goku pulled his hands away from his face.

"Cheer up."

Goku blinked.  _Has Vegeta ever said that before in his entire life?_  "Uh, thanks."

Shifting his legs on the mattress uncomfortably, Vegeta stared out the window. "Forget about your son for a second. What exactly did you have planned for today?"

Goku brightened, making an easy rebound from his moment of sadness. "I need to go to the store to pick up some food. Do you think you'll be around to eat dinner?"

"Yes. I can make up for the dinner you missed out on."

_Ow. That hurt._

"Oh, there you go again with that look."

"What look?"

"That look you make when you can't take a joke." Vegeta paused. "I don't like it when you're not smiling."

Goku stared at Vegeta blankly, trying to decide whether it would be appropriate to be immensely happy or skeptical. He considered feeling Vegeta's forehead again, but the Prince was already making his way off of the bed. "Oh, wait a second, let me—"

"I'm fine." Vegeta swung his legs over to the side of the mattress and huffed a little. Goku quickly stood up.

"Do you need help?"

"No," Vegeta growled. But he stayed stationed on the side of the bed, hesitant.

Fully aware of the fact that Vegeta still had his pride, no matter how 'nice' he was being that morning, Goku simply distracted himself with gathering up the mess off the bed. "I'm going to head off to the store in a few minutes, since there isn't anything left for lunch either."

"Good." Vegeta sat staring out the window, his goal to get up now seemingly lost. "Good that you're going to get more food, not good that you decided to be a greedy pig."

"Do you want anything in particular?"

"No. Just bring food."

"No special requests?"

"Just leave already."

Goku smiled and hauled the dirty dished up to his chin. He supported most of the weight in his arms against his chest. "No problem. You should rest some more until I get back."

"Or I'll just do what I want."

Goku shrugged and carried himself out of the room completely silent. He felt special, even if Vegeta hadn't bade him farewell in as loving of a way as he'd hoped. They both made a minute amount of progress that morning, and Goku didn't want to ruin it.

* * *

Vegeta squinted his eyes in the sunlight before turning around to stare at the empty doorway. It was odd how much he was thinking about Goku, seeing the less-than-acceptable state the Prince of all Saiyans himself was in. Before he had went to sleep last night, he promised himself to ease into a good bitch-session the moment he saw Goku the next morning. He would scream and fuss. He would demand to go back home, to call Bulma over, or even limp straight out of the house to drag his sorry carcass miles back to his own room and bed...

That was, until the idiot had come back into his room nearly breaking the door down. Vegeta figured that if Goku had walked in on him jacking off, it wouldn't have been  _half_  as embarrassing as him finding out he loved listening to  _rap_  music. If any of his family knew, he could never live it down.

But even in his humiliation, Goku had come in with food and good cheer. Most importantly, he came in wondering if he felt better. Vegeta didn't want to blame flattery for the overwhelming good feeling he had in response to the younger Saiyan's concern.

It was beyond just knowing Goku was a 'friend', and would naturally come to help him out. He hated thinking about it, but it wasn't as if the man kept his attention on one person or thing for too long. From watching Goku interact with his wife and children, if they were doing something unrelated to fighting, Goku became fidgety and more absent-minded than usual. The man could leave Earth for years at a time without blinking an eye if it meant he could become stronger.

To put it simply, Vegeta wouldn't have been surprised if Goku showed up in his room hours into the afternoon, scratching his head, saying he'd forgotten Vegeta was even in the house. The little breakfast he received was a nice surprise.

He stretched and pulled himself up off the bed. There was a bit of soreness in his legs, but he'd get over it. He'd woken up earlier feeling less like shit, and planned on maintaining a good spirit about it.

_There really isn't anything to do around here with there being no food and no Kakarot._

He looked around the room and laid eyes on Goku's dresser.

_Oh, am I such a woman to want to do something like that?_

He couldn't tear his eyes away. He rubbed a temple.

_Only because there's nothing else to do._

Pulling up the stool he saw beside the window, he made himself comfortable and sat down. Methodically he began to open up the drawers, scanning through contents from right to left.

"Nothing but useless junk," he mumbled. He ran across simple articles of clothing such as underwear, muscle shirts, and ripped pieces of cloth that bore no resemblance to something that could be wearable. But after running his fingers along the side of the drawer for anything worth interest, he clicked his tongue when he ran across a wrapper.

"What's this?" He pulled out the crinkly item and saw that it was only a half-eaten candy bar that still bore its wrapping. "Damn!" But he looked closer into the side of the drawer where he'd pulled the candy and saw...

"Condoms?" Vegeta snorted and pulled one out of the drawer. "Who's Kakarot screwing?"

He held the square wrapper between his fingers a second longer than intended. If Goku  _was_ seeing some woman on the side, who could it possibly be? Vegeta felt a tinge of jealousy and twitched his mouth. If Goku ever did see anyone besides Chi-Chi, why wouldn't he have mentioned it to Vegeta? Even though he may not have been the best companion to Goku, he most certainly deserved to know if Goku was tapping anyone at ANYTIME, especially after his wife had died.

_But then again, Kakarot has never talked to me about the harpy's death. There is a lot more to him than what is on the surface._

That was most definitely a first. Goku having more to him than what was on the surface. Vegeta had always assumed Goku had the emotional depth of a puddle, but being around him lately proved he still could leave people surprised.

Vegeta flipped over the condom to look at the expiration date. "Oh, thank the gods. This shit stopped being good long ago." He laughed and shoved it back into the depths of the drawer.

For the next hour Vegeta browsed through the rest of Goku's belongings without a hint of shame. He became restless when he failed to find anything else of interest. About to call quits, he pulled open the very bottom drawer. Two aged envelopes were pressed into the wooden siding behind a pair of rolled up socks.

"Looks like Kakarot's been hiding something." Vegeta pulled out both the envelopes and emptied them of their contents. Out flapped two letters written in painfully precise manuscript. He picked them up off the floor and opened the one that appeared to have been folded several times over.

**My Dearest Goku,**

**I'm so sorry I haven't seen you in a while. But today Goten stopped by, and I told him that he may be better off living with Bulma and Trunks.**

_What the fuck!_

He looked at the bottom of the letter and saw that it was signed by Chi-Chi. When had she suggested Goten live at Capsule Corp? What was going on here? He continued to read:

**He keeps on telling me he wants to stay with you, but I know what's best for him. I will sort out the situation very soon. Don't worry too much about the future. Take care.**

**Chi-Chi**

_Holy shit._ Vegeta dropped the letter and shook his head. Suddenly aware of the other letter, he snatched it from the floor and tore it open. This one lacked a tender-loving opening:

**I've spent over twenty years trying to convince myself that you loved me as more than a friend and a caregiver.**

Vegeta nearly dropped the letter. A sudden feeling of invasion plagued him, even though he had been rummaging through Goku's belongings without hesitation for an hour. Reading that first line had made him nervous—as if he was gazing into something incredibly private and explanatory of all things important about Goku. All the things Goku  _made sure_ others didn't know. He knew that what he would read next would most likely throw him through some kind of loop he couldn't back away from. Reading  _this_ steaming pile would force Vegeta into a realm of responsibility for Goku's life, and he didn't know if he wanted to ever do that.

He closed it up.  _I don't need this. I should just focus on getting better so I can go home, eat, and fight Kakarot like normal. This emotional bullshit is too much._

He put the letter back into its envelope and shoved it into the drawer.

He sat. Sunlight continued to fill the room, and the sound of birds singing drifted through the window, despite the fact he thought he had scared them all away earlier.

_Fuck it all._

Vegeta pulled the letter back out, nearly tearing it to pieces as he reopened it:

**I've spent over twenty years trying to convince myself that you loved me as more than a friend and a caregiver. But today I can admit that you have never been the loving husband I hoped for when we first got married. It has all been a terrible mistake where the only good things that have come out of me staying with you are our sons.**

**Whenever you would leave me, I knew it was because you had to. But even when there was so much time for us to be together, you'd wander off. I've tried too long to make you into someone you're not. Now that I'm ill, I've decided to simply give up and let you be you. I hope you'll become happy with your new freedom.**

**When I am gone, I want to make sure Goten is taken good care of. I would feel best knowing he was staying with my father, but even Bulma is a good option right now. At least with her he will have two adults in the house that can watch over him. I will also be calling Bulma soon to let her know about this situation. I hope you understand.**

**Chi-Chi**

He put the letter back in its envelope and shoved it alongside its companion back into the drawer. He rested his elbows on his knees, suddenly tired.

So Goku's wife hadn't even trusted him with his own son before she'd died. Vegeta heard no word about Goten possibly living at Capsule Corp, but maybe she hadn't even gotten far enough in her plan to call Bulma...

 _Damn._ The Prince could read in between the lines. Chi-Chi had basically called Goku a shitty husband and an even shittier father. No wonder he didn't want to talk about Goten, who appeared to confirm Chi-Chi's beliefs about her husband's lack of responsibility.

Vegeta felt…guilt? No, disappointment. He didn't know anything about the months before Chi-Chi died, or even what illness had caused her death! And based on the letters, Chi-Chi was in contact with Goku from somewhere else, perhaps a hospital or another person's house. There were no return addresses on the envelopes.

Something seriously fucked up had occurred before she died, and Vegeta had no idea about it during the whole course of time he'd spoken to Goku during the past year.

 _How could I have ignored all of this so easily?_ Was Goku that good at not talking about things that actually mattered? He hadn't heard anything from Trunks either, and he almost had as big of a mouth as Goku. How many people around him had kept quiet?

 _The strangest thing is that he stays so happy most of the time._   _At least when I'm around him._   _How?_

He rubbed his forehead and thought long— before being violently attacked against the head once more. The familiar  _FWAP_  sound rung in his ears as searing pain spread across the back of his head. Becoming dizzy, he fell backwards off the stool and passed out before even hitting the floor.


	4. Part Four

"Wow!" Goku pressed his face flat against a freezer door in the frozen dinner isle. "I could get ten pizzas for half the price!"

He loved and hated shopping at the same time. Often he wished he could live in a grocery store so he could have unlimited access to a nearly infinite amount of food. He seriously considered the idea one day and almost asked a manager about annexing part of a house to the back of the store, as well as paying monthly rent.

Then he remembered that out in public he had to act like a normal person. He scratched at the cotton shirt he had put on before he left the house. His idea sounded even dumber when he thought about how Vegeta would react if he knew about it. Sighing, he tossed ten frozen pizzas into his grocery cart. The dream would have to die for now.

"Oh, no!" Goku heard a high pitched squeal from across the aisle. "I dropped this  _entire_ tub of peanut butter and I can't pick it up!"

He swiveled his head around and saw a woman standing beside a rack of condiments. Beside her high-heeled shoe was a jar of peanut butter that looked as if it had simply been sat on the ground.

"I wish someone would help me!" she cried even louder.

Goku walked over and picked up the jar. "Uh, here you go ma'am."

The woman looked up at Goku with sparkles in her eyes. Her hair was red and flowing down to her waist. Goku saw that behind her back she was hiding a ponytail holder she had probably just taken off.

"Oh, thank you so much. You are such a gentleman." She took the jar from Goku's hand, making sure to run her fingers delicately against his palm. "And you're so handsome."

"Um." He felt confused all of a sudden. How did the way he looked have anything to do with the jar of peanut butter?

"Do you live around here?" She flipped her shiny hair and winked.

"Uh, not really—"

"CHEYRL!" A stout man marched up behind the woman and grasped onto her arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing, John. Just talking to the very nice man." She grit her teeth and flashed another grin at Goku.

"Honey, you're allergic to peanuts!"

"Shut UP, John!"

Goku backed away from the married couple and went back to his cart. They continued to argue. He simply shrugged off the moment as weird and pushed his cart around a corner to look for food to cook for dinner. While passing the dairy section, out of the corner of his eye he noticed a woman hiking up her skirt so that it went up to her knees. She too was smiling at him.  _What was that about?_  he thought while turning into the pasta isle; he ran smack-dab into another woman's basket.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" He pulled his basket away from the head-on collision.

The woman furled her lip to say something nasty, only to stop herself. She scanned Goku's body. "Oh, it's no problem. It's okay." She began to flip her hair wildly. It was black and straight as a board. "Say, your wife wouldn't also happen to be here in the store, would she?"

Goku frowned. "No. She wouldn't."

"Oh. She at home?"

"Um, no. She passed away about a year ago."

The woman slapped both hands to her cheeks in mock sympathy. "That's awful! You poor thing. You could use a little bit of healing, don't you think?"

Goku raised a brow. "Er, I'm not sure what you mean."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No?"

Suddenly the red-haired woman from earlier ran into the aisle. She stared at both Goku and the other woman.

"Cheryl, what's wrong with you today?" Cheryl's husband rounded the corner as well, tired from running.

 _This is really weird,_ Goku thought.

"Sir, you never gave me your name," Cheryl squeaked. She shot a deadly look towards the direction of the other woman.

"Why do you care about that man's name?!" her husband yelled. The two started to bicker wildly; the black-hair woman joined in as well. Goku decided then was a good time to make an exit out of the pasta section.

 _Geez. Why does this happen every time I go somewhere?_ Goku couldn't figure out for his life why he found himself in weird situations with women almost the moment he'd step foot into the city. Whether it was at the mall, the grocery store, or even walking down the street, women seemed to come at him like he were a magnet. He made a mental note to one day ask a female friend—maybe Bulma—what made him so interesting to females in particular.

"Hey—excuse me!"

 _Oh, no, not again._  Goku turned around looking for the voice. "Huh?"

"You're Son Goku, right?"

He looked to his left and saw a short woman beaming back at him. Her hair was blonde and cropped a bit below her ears, reminding Goku faintly of 18. The only reason he noticed was because she was doing the weird flippy-hair thing most women did whenever they came around him. He looked lower and noticed the Capsule Corp logo on her shirt.

"Oh…Hey? Do I know you?"

She waved a hand. "I work at a division of Capsule Corp. Sometimes I talk with Bulma. She mentions you a lot." She stared at Goku as if waiting for an appropriate interjection into her spiel. "I heard you're pretty amazing when it comes to martial arts!"

Goku blinked. "Oh. Thanks?"

She shuffled her tennis shoes against the floor, squeaking them a bit. "Sometimes I drop by the main building. Whenever I'm there, I see you hanging out with Vegeta…So you've probably seen me before."

"Oh, yeeeaah…Heeey." He desperately hoped it wasn't obvious he didn't know who the hell she was.

She held out a hand. "My name is Taffy."

Goku stared. "Taffy?"

"Yeah."

"Like,  _Laffy Taffy_? The candy?"

She folded her arms, mildly amused."I guess."

 _Oh my gosh, that's a terrible name!_ "Nice to make your acquaintance!" he said loudly while shaking her floating hand. He studied her figure and noticed that she was fairly cute, but young. Maybe even Goten's age. "What high school do you go to?"

Taffy fell over. "I'm almost THIRTY!"

"Oh!" Goku laughed nervously and felt he was blushing. Not out of boyish embarrassment from being around a cute girl, but the kind of blushing he got when he really wanted to end an unpleasant conversation. "I'm sorry. You look so young."

"It's okay." She pulled herself off the floor and glared a bit. He noticed her eyes were green and piercing. "Anyway…The reason I bothered you was to ask if you offered training lessons?"

Goku stared blankly for a moment. He really didn't like the idea of inviting a strange woman over to his house. "I'm not really sure…"

"Hey!" Cheryl was now standing at the end of the aisle waving her arms. Goku's eyes bulged.

"I ought to get out of here, Taffy. Maybe I'll run into you another day."

"But—" Goku was already running away from whatever madness that was about to occur before she could talk any further.

He spent the rest of his time in the store filling his basket with anything he remembered was out of stock back in his house. For dinner he planned on simply mixing something up with tuna and rice, not wanting to get fancy. Once he successfully filled up his basket to the point of overflow, he considered getting another, before he saw another woman coming his way with the intent to talk. He went through check-out and settled on coming back tomorrow if he ran out of food by then.

He felt a buzzing at his waist. Momentarily confused, he dug in his pocket to get his phone. He glanced at the caller ID before answering.

"Hey, Bulma!"

"Goku! Listen, I need you to come over right away to pick up some stuff. Vegeta just called me and said he can't move again."

Goku began to put his groceries through the Capsulator outside of the store: it was a handy device that shrunk all of his bags into small capsules, so he didn't have to haul dozens of bags an hour flight back home. He shook his head and thought on the situation at hand. "Why didn't he call me first?"

Anger bled through her voice. "He asked me to come and pick him up. I said no."

Goku  _tsked_. "If he wants to leave so badly…"

"Don't even worry about it. We had an agreement."

He had no motivation to complain. "So what is it you can give me to help him out?" Talking to Bulma on the phone that moment was probably one of the few times in his life he was being purposely naïve. He knew what she had given him last night.

"I'd give you the shot I used yesterday if I didn't know you wouldn't even bother to touch it."

He winced at how obvious he must have sounded a second ago.

"So I'll just give you a dry medicine that should work the same as the shot. He told me that last night it worked pretty well."

"Yeah. But I wonder what's causing this to happen?" Goku stuffed his groceries down his pocket. All of the items he bought earlier filled about six capsules.

"I don't know, Goku." Bulma sounded worried, and Goku imagined her biting her lip. "But if he doesn't get better soon, I'll have to start running some tests in my lab."

"We don't want that…I'm coming over now. See ya." Goku ended the call, wondering what new mess Vegeta had gotten himself into. He flew away from the grocery store, hoping that whatever he met at home wouldn't lead to too bad of a situation.

* * *

"Shit, Kakarot!"

"Come on, 'Geta. Just take it."

"You don't know what that thing is, do you?!"

"Bulma said it was a suppository."

"Do you even know what a suppository is?"

"No..."

"All you need to know is that I'm not letting you anywhere  _near_ my ass!"

"I don't even know what you're talking about!"

The two had been fighting ever since Vegeta had woken up, the Prince's temper beyond out of control and Goku's confusion at its fullest. Earlier Goku had found Vegeta sprawled out in his room with the stool overturned, passed out and snoring. It was nighttime before he had woken up again, this time in bed with Goku at his side. He was a bit dazed and lost, as well as angry, a combination that lead to his consequential explosion.

Plus, he had missed lunch  _and_ dinner. But hunger wasn't his strongest feeling at the moment.

"I'm sick of all of this. It only started to happen when I came over here." Vegeta growled as he watched Goku crush up the medicine in his hand. "I think you're house is cursed or something. Maybe you should call in an exorcist!"

"Stop being silly, Vegeta." Goku had brought in a bottle of water earlier and now lifted it off his nightstand. He unscrewed the top and poured in the crushed medicine.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm just going to mix it with some water so you can drink it."

Vegeta gasped. "That's the  _stupid fucking idea I've ever heard_! Who even knows what happens when you take a suppository orally?!"

Goku ignored him and held the bottle's opening to his mouth. "Drink."

"No."

"Come on."

"Piss off."

Goku poked out his bottom lip so that he was in full-pout. "Please? For me?"

Vegeta scoffed. "Do you really think that will work on me?"

Goku widened his eyes and made the most pitiful face Vegeta had ever seen. "Please will you drink this, best friend of mine?"

Parts of the letter Vegeta had read earlier came to the front of his mind.  ** _Now that I'm ill, I've decided to simply give up and let you be you. I hope you'll become happy with your new freedom._** He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed in defeat. "I hate you!"

"Mm. Good." Vegeta opened his mouth and let Goku tip the bottled contents down his throat. After downing the substance, Goku withdrew and Vegeta began to cough.

"How was that?"

"It tasted like shit. Just as I expected."

Goku pat his head. "Good boy." Before he could retort, he saw Goku wrinkle his nose. "You smell awful! When's the last time you bathed?!"

Vegeta became lost in a bout of déjà vu and couldn't find the right words to reply back with. But the look of annoyance on Goku's face had faded away and was replaced with a growing look of interest and wonder. Tension suddenly hovered in the room. Goku's eyes wandered away from the bed to other parts of the room, as if he were too shy to say anything else.

_Oh, no. I know what he's thinking. No. Never!_

"Vegeta..."

"No!"

"Come on!" Goku seemed a little bit  _too_ excited by the window of opportunity that had just opened.

"I won't let you. I'd rather you throw me into a tub to be on my own before I let you do  _that_."

"It's not like anyone would know," Goku said in a disturbingly low voice.

 _What's gotten into him? I've never seen that look on his face before._  "That isn't the point. I don't want you rubbing all over me!"

"It would feel good. I promise." Goku's mouth was parted slightly, his breathing irregular.

"You make it sound so dirty." Vegeta then winced and wished he had enough strength to smack himself in the head.  _Why the hell did I say that?_

"It would be anything but dirty," Goku said. "It would be really nice. Don't you think?"

_No! I don't care how much I feel sorry for you…_

And Vegeta really didn't know how he let it happened. He didn't know if it was the medicine or simply the pain in his head, but he felt himself being picked up and carried further back into the house with no protests from himself. The world around him even blacked out for what could have been a moment or an hour, and when he came to, he felt that his pants were being pulled off.

"Gods," he moaned.

"You're telling me."

Vegeta looked down. "What was that?"

"Uh, nothing!" Goku continued to undress Vegeta; he made sure to lay every piece of clothing neatly on top of an empty towel rack by the bathroom sink bowl. Vegeta inspected the room with hazed eyes, and was roused a bit out of his pain by shock at how big it was. Glistening pink tile covered the floor beneath him, and a large porcelain tub sat near the far end of the room. The smell of lilacs and bathwater flooded his senses.

He didn't know whether to offer praise or throw up.

Based on his position, he was propped up against a wall. He looked back at Goku, who now had him stripped down to his boxers.

 _Wow. Kakarot works fast._ "I hope you know that in court, this would be akin to molestation."

Goku froze as his fingers hovered over Vegeta's waistband.

"So it had better be a damn good molestation. In the most positive meaning of the word, of course."  _I give up!_

Goku looked up at Vegeta with a smile that reeked with innocence. He for a moment truly believed Goku was naive through and through, and could never touch him in a way that hinted of perversion or ill will. Plus, they had seen each other naked a few times in the past, and it hadn't been that big of a deal.  _Right?_

Suddenly Goku grasped the waistband of Vegeta's boxers and nearly ripped them off clean. He tossed them off to the side of the room. His eyes roamed Vegeta's body.

"Uh. Kakarot. What the fuck."

Goku eyes narrowed as he became still. "Oh.." Carefully he lifted Vegeta off the floor and toward the tub. He set him down in the water, which was near boiling. But Vegeta only hissed a little, and felt his muscles relax in the extreme heat. The water came up to his neck when he hit the bottom of the tub. Goku was leant over him with sleeves rolled up past his elbows. Once Vegeta was in a comfortable position, Goku pulled up a stool and sat beside him. Staring.

"How do you feel?"

"Just fine." Vegeta attempted to move his legs a bit, only to find out it was nearly impossible without immense effort. He gave up and flopped his head onto the edge of the tub.

Goku was fidgeting. "So should I just, uh, start from top to bottom?"

Vegeta coughed out a laugh. "You're too much." He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to not think about the humiliating event that was about to take place in the bathroom. But like Goku said, it wasn't as if anyone would know. "I guess this won't be too bad if I just imagine you as a servant."

Goku tilted his head. "A servant?"

"Yes. Like a servant to a prince. That's what you are."  _Yes. That makes this whole thing a lot better._

"Does that mean I'm going to get paid for this?"

Vegeta blew out a mouthful of air. "What are you going on about? Earlier you acted as if you couldn't wait to lather me up!" He looked upside down at Goku from the tub. "Just the opportunity to please your prince should be good enough compensation. Be happy I've shown you mercy."

Goku pulled out a bottle of shampoo and squirt a small amount into his hand. "That's what you said last night when you were in this same position, weak and helpless!" He worked his fingers in between Vegeta's hair, pulling up handfuls of bathwater from around his shoulders to build up a good amount of foam.

 _Oh, wow._ Vegeta hummed as Goku massaged and scratched at his neglected scalp. He'd even blown off the 'weak and helpless' comment. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he relaxed more into his lean against the tub. Along with the heat of the water and ministrations being given to his hair, he felt that being immobile was a benefit for this lone part of the evening.

He began to think on something else, maybe about how he hadn't eaten since breakfast, or maybe about the last time he had slept in his own bed...He yawned. Goku washed the shampoo out of his hair and now had a towel scrubbing at his neck. The towel moved across his shoulders, gentle. He felt his arms being lifted up and suspended in the air; the towel followed all the contours of his chest, his underarms, his stomach—

"WHOA!" Vegeta jumped with all of the strength he had left. "What are you doing?!"

Goku held up his towel, innocent. "What?"

"Were you about to wash my ball—"

"NO!"

"YOU WERE!"

"I wasn't!" Goku looked terrified.

Vegeta pulled himself up onto shaky feet. He felt like there was a massive weight on his back, and almost fell backwards into the water. Goku stood up in turn, but Vegeta only held up a hand. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Kakarot, but I think you've got me confused with someone else. I know you  _think_  we're best friends or something, but I'm not about to let you fondle my junk!"

Goku stared at the floor. "I wasn't going to fondle your junk! I would never do that! Not even if you asked me!"

Vegeta shut his eyes. "Just stop talking." He rubbed the side of his temple for the umpteenth time that day. The throbbing pain in his skull had intensified during the past few seconds.  _What in the world have I gotten myself into, staying here?_

"I'm so sorry!" Goku bowed his head down to a ridiculous level above the floor. "I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable. I've just been kind of over-excited about you being here lately. Please sit back down." He pulled out his sad and pathetic routine and made his eyes huge and sad.

Vegeta sighed. "Just hand me a towel. Please. I'm tired."

Goku got a large bath towel and wrapped it around Vegeta as he climbed out of the tub. But he shoved Goku away once he was steady on his feet.

"I can go back on my own." He trudged out of the bathroom, dripping, impossibly slow. It hurt like hell, walking across the tile and back into the hallway, but it was worth it to get away.

* * *

 _Way to screw everything up._ Goku face-palmed himself and groaned. He felt more of an ass than at any point in his recent life.

What had come over him?! The opportunity to  _touch_ Vegeta like that was too good to give up. And when he had pulled Vegeta's underwear off, he'd nearly went into cardiac arrest.

But what was most awful about what happened wasn't the fact he had embarrassed himself by touching too much. It was the fact he had  _wanted_  to do something like that in the firstplace. Yes, he wanted to be friends with Vegeta, but he didn't want to sexually assault the man! Or he didn't want Vegeta to  _think_ he wanted to sexually assault him. Wait, that's wasn't right either.  _Fuck_ ,  _I'm confused!_

But oh, it felt so good to get his fingers through that hair again, and felt so good to feel the warm wetness of Vegeta's skin…

_Stop. Thinking. About. That. NOW!_

Goku slapped his face a few times and exhaled. Maybe he was just getting a bit nutty. Of course. That was the reason. He had even believed a photo of Chichi talked back to him, so he had to be losing his mind a tad bit. He really didn't feel  _those_ sort of feelings for Vegeta. He just needed to calm down and get right in the head.

Ignoring the water on the floor, Goku walked slowly back toward his room. The door was cracked open an inch. He peered through and saw Vegeta curled beneath the sheets, eyes nearly closed. The towel he had around him earlier was on the floor.

 _I should just leave him alone,_ Goku thought. He didn't think he could do anything more awful that what happened in the bathroom, but figured he  _could_  if he hovered around too long. Quickly he slid back to Goten's room and into his bed.

He closed his eyes and could only think,  _Atonement, atonement..._

_OH!_

He didn't know if it would work. Vegeta may not find it amusing at all, or may even find it to be stupid. But Goku got out the bed nevertheless. He dug around in Goten's closet and sorted through a stack of boxes. After a few minutes, he found what he was looking for and trudged off to his room.

"Vegeta?" He had almost said it in a whisper. He pushed open his door slowly, half-expecting the smaller Saiyan to jump out of a corner of the room in a surprise-attack. Instead, Vegeta was lying in bed, head propped up into a hand. He only stared back at Goku.

Goku smiled weakly. "I, ah, wanted to show you something."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure if I want to see it."

Goku went to the opposite side of the bed and lied down beside Vegeta, but on top of the sheets. The Prince looked immensely annoyed by the close contact, before he brought his attention to the item in Goku's hands.

"What is that?"

Goku puffed out his chest in pride. "This is a book that Goten and Trunks wrote."

Vegeta tried to hide a smirk. "I could see maybe Trunks writing, but Goten isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. He's a lot like you."

Goku blew a raspberry at Vegeta and flipped open to the first page of the book. "They wrote this when they were kids!"

Vegeta snatched the book out of Goku's hands and nearly burned a hole through the cover by staring at it for so long. It was bound with cheap wire, and the pages were made out of thick sketchbook paper. But Goku was staring at Vegeta's wet hair, and how it drooped down to his shoulders. He gaped a bit.

"Whose bright idea was it for them to make this?"

"Oh! Um, Gohan's. Or so I heard. They made it when I still...you know. Dead." A strange feeling overcame Goku and he felt a nervous pressure in his chest.

"What is it about?"

"Huh?"

"What is this story about? I mean, it might as well have been written in a different language." Vegeta pointed a finger at the sprawling words on each page he turned to. It was written in crayon.

Goku burst out laughing. "You've never deciphered kiddie writing?"

"No, but you're probably an expert at it." Vegeta crossed his arms, obviously upset at Goku having another advantage in an area he lacked prowess in.

"I've read this thing almost a million times. So it's easy for me." Goku knocked the tip of his feet together a few times and stared at the ceiling. "It's about this Monkey King that attacks villages."

"That sounds kind of dumb." But Vegeta was studying one page of the wire-bound book intently. "Kakarot, is this you?"

Goku leaned over to get a closer look at the book and opened his mouth as wide as possible to laugh. "Haha, yeah!" He pressed a finger into the page to feel the texture of the crayon. On the paper was a caricature of him with wild hair that shot all over the page. "In this part of the story, I think I came back from the dead to help fight the Monkey King, along with Goten and Trunks."

Vegeta made a look Goku couldn't decipher. "You were a hero to your son without even being around."

Goku ignored the remark and flipped to the next page in the book, garnering a cry out of Vegeta. "What do you think about  _that_ page?"

"What is this!"

"That's you!"

"No it isn't!" But Vegeta ran his fingers across the paper at the obvious image of himself. He looked angry and huge, and was Super Saiyan.

"In the story we _both_  come in and help kill the Monkey King for good."

Vegeta sat staring at the page, face screwed up in confusion. Goku relaxed himself in the soft sheets, glad that he had managed to at least entertain Vegeta instead of send him into another fit of anger.

"So this has just been cooped up in your house for about...ten years?"

"Yeah. We brought it during the move."

"Huh."

Goku snuggled into the sheets and closed his eyes. "You should read it out loud..."

He heard a snort while growing in weariness. "I'm not reading you a bedtime story."

"I'd do it, 'Geta, except I'm so tired."

And while drifting into sleep, Goku heard the Prince of all Saiyans reading the first page of the story so familiar to him. But before losing consciousness completely, he figured it was just his imagination.


	5. Part Five

Vegeta rolled over in bed and grumbled.

_I can't believe this._

He was supposed to be  _livid_  at being violated last night.  _Right?_ Touching the Prince of all Saiyans when fighting wasn't involved was a big  _no-no_ , and last night's little 'bath session' had tested his limits _._ He was supposed to be holding a grudge until the end of time because of that cute incident. Longer if possible. And it didn't matter if Goku tried to make amends by showing him that damn book.

But when he woke up only a few minutes ago, he looked over at Goku, expecting a rush of annoyance, paired along with a fresh migraine. Instead, a single thought popped into his head.

_Kakarot is adorable when he sleeps._

Goku was curled into a ball, his head almost touching the top of his withdrawn knees. His eyelashes glittered a bit in the breaking light of dawn, soft and barely kissing his smooth cheeks. While half his face was buried in the pillow he held protectively, Vegeta could easily see that Goku's lips were parted enough to let escape a soft snore. His spiky hair looked even more of a mess than usual.

_Fuck._

The image was  _disgustingly_  cute.

 _I've been inside of this place for too long._ Yes, that was a perfect excuse for finding Goku to be  _cute_  and  _cuddly-looking_ , both words Vegeta thought hadn't even existed in his vocabulary. He pulled himself out from under the bed sheets and swung both legs over the side of the mattress. He looked over his shoulder and pretended to assess the amount of light outside, only to bring his attention back to Goku. The larger Saiyan was smiling.

"Mmm..." Goku stretched in his sleep and rolled over, away from Vegeta's stare.

 _I wonder what Earth's Savior dreams about?_ Vegeta turned his head away from Goku and stared at the floor. He most  _definitely_  had been spending too much time in the house.

Beside the bed he noticed a small bag bearing the Capsule Corp logo. Goku had stopped by to talk to Bulma yesterday, he remembered. He reached forward to get the bag, expecting pain in his muscles. Nothing but a bit of stiffness.  _Excellent,_  he thought. The suppositories had worked, even though he had taken them by mouth. As ass-backwards  _that_ scenario had been.

_Haha. Ass-backwards._

He grabbed the bag and rambled through it, picking out a t-shirt and a pair of black jeans.  _I guess the woman thought it would be funny if I went commando_. There wasn't one pair of underwear in the bag. Shrugging, he slid on the clothes and pair of boots he kicked off the day before. Without a second thought, he walked out of the room, through the hallway, and straight outside. The entire house felt stuffy and constricting, and he tired of it.

The brightness of outside struck him with a force; impulsively, he winced trying to get used to the light. The air was filled with the smell of wet grass and salty water. The shore wasn't too far from the house, and a strong breeze was blowing away a layer of clouds along with the smell of sea.

Going off of memory, he walked around the house to the outer reaches of the property. Instead of a backyard, he saw miles of rolling green hills that bled into a long rock ledge. Beyond that was ocean water. Plenty of room for simple sparring, meaning nothing that would lead to mass destruction. He figured Goku went to another location to do more intensive types of training. If anything, he was content that Goku wasn't living in any kind of squalor while living alone.

He found a nice spot a few hundred yards from the house where the grass was springy and sparse of beach pebbles. He stretched a bit, and started to practice a few basic stances to test his balance and strength. Marking time by the slow change in the position of the sun, he figured an hour had passed when he decided to stop. He'd already built up enough energy to attack at near-lightning speed.

 _Getting out of the house was a perfect idea._ He stood still.  _I'm a freaking genius._

"HEY VEGETA!"

 _Damn!_ Vegeta held a hand over his eyes to shield himself from the blazing sun. After focusing his vision, he saw Goku waving wildly from behind the house. He was walking toward Vegeta at a brisk pace. He chose to ignore the annoyance, and went back to training.

"Oh, wow! Look at you!" The idiot was now a few feet away, bowl of cereal in his hand. He took a monstrous bite from the bowl and munched loudly. "You look all better!"

"Go. Away."

Goku went on. "You know, I looked up the word 'suppository', and you won't  _believe_  what it said—"

"I can't concentrate with all of your babbling." Despite himself, Vegeta looked Goku up and down, glad to now see  _zero_  percent cuteness. The fool just looked like his normal self; he was barefoot and wearing a blue gi.

Goku raised his brows and took another bite of cereal. "Sowwy, 'Geta." Sputtering, a piece of Frosted Flake flew out of his mouth.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and continued to test his movement. Even though he had most of his speed back, there was still a tinge of stiffness in his arms and calves.  _Stupid Kakarot._

Goku plopped down in the grass to finish off his snack. Once he licked the last drop of milk from the bowl, he tossed it into the grass. He fell onto his back and spread his arms and legs, completely relaxed.

When a few minutes passed, Vegeta had to stop. "Are you just going to sit there all day and do nothing?"

Goku opened his eyes. "It depends."

"Oh, really? Based on what I've seen, all you do is eat and sleep." Vegeta smirked. "I don't know how you  _ever_ prepare to spar with me."

Goku craned his head up to stare at Vegeta. "I've been busy with  _you_ this entire time. Training has become kind of a second priority."

Vegeta opened his mouth to dish out another insult. But he had nothing.  _Damn. He's right!_ Ever since he had woken up the first time in that godsforsaken house, there the third-class had been. Making him breakfast, going out shopping, trying to bathe him...Even trying to share a common link between both of their sons—

"But if you want to fight, then we  _can_. I figured you wouldn't be up for it… But if you insist." Goku gave the Prince a smirk of his own as he slowly rose off the ground, dusting off his pant legs.

Vegeta crossed his arms.  _Good. It's been too long before either of us has gotten a good beating._

Both rose into the air, high above the house, eyes fixed on one another. The familiar rush of energy came to Vegeta that he'd failed to capture all morning: the thrill of going against an adversary. Intermingling in his excitement was sadness; he would spar with Goku until the day he died if things went his way. And things usually didn't.

During the moment of introspection, Goku landed a swift punch against his jaw. Reeling backwards, he rubbed the spot and hissed.

"Wake up, Vegeta! Are you daydreaming or something?" Goku floated above him, arms behind his head. Bored.  _Unchallenged._

"I'll give you daydreaming!"  _Fucking clown_ , he nearly muttered, and he slammed himself straight into Goku's chest. Before Goku could go flying opposite the attack, Vegeta wound his right arm around his opponent's neck. He could tell Goku was confused when he continued to hold the headlock.

"HEY! What the—"

"Shut-up!" Vegeta tightened his hold. His cheek was pressed against Goku's, cool sweat slipping between them. "I don't want to see that look on your face ever again, you understand?"

"What look?" Goku choked. He clawed at Vegeta's neck, flailing his legs as well for dramatic effect.

"That  _look_  you just gave me. Like I am not an equal opponent of yours."

Vegeta could feel the veins in Goku's neck bulge as he laughed. "Oh, you mean this one?" Goku opened his mouth wide and yawned. He batted his eyes slowly as a glazed look came over his face. "Yeah, I'm not impressed by what you're doing right now."

Vegeta kneed him hard in the stomach; he screamed out in pain and seriously began to struggle against the headlock, power level rising. Vegeta tightened the hold, only to have a blonde explosion of hair blind his vision. Goku disappeared from his grasp.

Panting, Vegeta looked around. Goku's energy was bouncing around everywhere, before settling still right behind—

"AH!" He felt two arms take an iron stranglehold around him, so that his own arms were locked above his head. He mentally cursed himself for having such a slow reaction time.

"Oh, you've really done it now, Vegeta!" Goku in Super Saiyan form rested his chin on Vegeta's right shoulder, his chest pressed into Vegeta's back from behind.

Vegeta stared back into the green eyes and scoffed. "What, do you plan on  _squeezing_  me to death?"

Goku crushed Vegeta against his own body. "I have an even better idea."

Vegeta positioned his leg for a potential back kick. He could put up a good enough fight to get Goku off of him. But as much as he hated to admit it, he  _loved_ their moment of pointless screwing around.  _Playing_ , even. "I'd hate to know what kind of ideas pop up in your head. No matter how rare the event is."

"Oh, you'll  _love_  this one."

"I can't wait."

Goku squeezed tighter. "You make it sound as if you're at the advantage right now. Hard to think that with all the  _limping around_ you've been doing."

 _What!_ Vegeta struggled against him. "Fuck you!"

Goku laughed, the rumble in his chest shuddering against Vegeta's back. "Hey, now! That wasn't a nice thing to say." He clicked his tongue in mock disapproval. "How about this." He pressed his mouth against Vegeta's ear. "If you apologize, I'll let you go."

Vegeta squirmed. "I don't apologize, Kakarot! You know that."

"Good point." Goku slid his arms off of Vegeta...and brought them downward to dig his fingers deep into the Prince's stomach.

"Oh, SHIT!" Vegeta screamed as Goku attacked him with a barrage of tickles straight to his abdomen. He fell out of the sky, Goku still wrapped around him, crying out in pain and through hoarse laughter. "GetoffaME!"

"No!"

He elbowed Goku square in the face, knowing he drew blood when a sharp  _crack_ echoed in the air around them, but the scrambling fingers continued to scrape at his sides. After spiraling through the air, he crashed into the ground face-first, Goku weighing him down from behind.

"Goddammit, STOP!" Vegeta scraped at the ground, giggling wildly, sweat dripping off his face in rivulets. "Hahaha,  _gods_ , this is  _awful_ —"

"I want you to beg!" Goku was laughing right along with him, words a bit slurred through the blood in his mouth. Vegeta gasped wildly, choking under the weight on his back and pressure at his stomach. He was becoming weak, and could only squirm helplessly against the heavier Goku.

His throat was starting to burn from all of the uncontrollable laughing. "I hate you!" He pounded his fist into the ground, shaking the earth and Goku on top of him. "AhahaHA, oh  _nooo_ —Why are you doing this to  _mee_ —!"

"It's just one word!"

"NO!" And Vegeta  _snorted_. He gasped at the sound and covered his mouth.

"Oh my gosh, that's the best sound in the  _world_ ," Goku screamed in a high-pitched voice laced with giggles. Vegeta could feel tears well his eyes, a mixture between pain and embarrassment. Goku moved his fingers up to Vegeta's chest and rolled them hard against each rib, slow and torturous.

In momentous defeat, Vegeta bashed his head against the ground and moaned. " _PLEASE!_  Stop.  **NOW**!"

Goku pulled his arms out from under Vegeta and pumped his fist in the air, screaming, "Yes!" before collapsing back on top of his victim. His hair faded from gold back to black. After the sound of heavy panting left his ears, Vegeta felt Goku nuzzle the back of his head.

"Kami, Kakarot." Vegeta struggled to regain normal breathing under Goku's weight. "Don't  _ever_ do that again, or I will kill you on the spot." Calmness coursed through his body, knowing he wouldn't be tickled again. His heart was thumping hard against his chest.

"Yeah, whatever." Goku nuzzled his face deeper into Vegeta's hair and sighed. "If you meant it, you would have killed me already. I must be growing on you, huh?"

Vegeta relaxed under the weight, thinking on Goku's conclusion.  _Am I getting so used to this idiot that I'll let him touch me so freely?_ Apparently so, because Goku  _still_  had his lazy carcass on top of him, nose rubbing against his hair. Continuously.  _I'm just going to have to accept that I have no personal space when around him._

"You know," Goku said while exhaling deeply, "I wasn't sure at first you'd be ticklish. You being ticklish is be like…I don't know, you liking puppy dogs and rainbows. You know, stuff that requires you to have a soul."

Lazy, Vegeta pulled up a few blades of grass and threw them at the back of his head, hoping they'd land on Goku. "Shut-up, Kakarot."

Goku wasn't as bad as he made him out to be. Sure, he was probably the most  _annoying_  person Vegeta knew that was still living.  _Okay, he_  is _the most annoying,_ he decided, but Goku was the only person that could make him laugh. Uncontrollably. To the point of  _fucking snorting._

"Vegeta?"

"What now?" Vegeta's voice was partially muffled in the grass beneath them.

"Your hair smells  _really good._ "

 _OKAY, that's enough for today._ Vegeta nudged against Goku. "Get off of me.  _Now_."

Sensing the lack of amusement his voice, Goku slid off. He rolled a few feet away, a wide grin plastered on his face. Vegeta picked himself off the ground and winced at the fresh pain in his abdomen. He rubbed himself and doubled over a bit. "Moron, you almost ripped my stomach open."

Goku stared up at him. "Speaking of stomachs, I'm  _starving._ " He stretched out into the grass, a low growling sound breaking the silence of outside. "We should have a picnic."

"It's always  _eating_ with you." But Vegeta could feel a tremor in his own belly that probably wasn't from the previous tickle assault.

Goku pulled up a fistful of grass from the ground, lost in thought. "There's this place not too far from here. A small island. It's really nice." He smiled up at Vegeta, more hopeful than giddy like a minute ago.

Vegeta was still rubbing his sore belly. "If we go, could we have a real fight? One without headlocks or tickling?"

"As long as you don't start it first."

Vegeta nodded in approval. He followed Goku back to the house, silent the entire way back.

_If Kakarot can have his entertainment, I can have my own as well..._

* * *

They failed at packing any food. Goku thought through the process: they had prepared a couple dozen sandwiches, and gathered a mixture of spring water and alcohol. Vegeta had said using a real picnic basket was, quote, "fucking retarded," but Goku thought it was charming.

Nevertheless, it remained empty. "We're not getting anywhere with this, Vegeta!" Goku stared down at the loaf of bread and condiments lying on the table.

"That's because you keep on eating all of the sandwiches, you idiot." Vegeta tapped the top of the beer can in his hand, shifting a bit on the chair he was lounging in.

Goku looked down and saw breadcrumbs scattered on the kitchen table they were packing on. He did feel fuller compared to ten minutes ago. "Oh, wow. I didn't even notice."

Vegeta muttered and popped open the top of his can. "I'm tired of waiting. When are we leaving? It's almost noon."

"Just as soon as we're done packing!" Goku hissed. He got out more mayonnaise and meat from the refrigerator.

"Hurry it up."

Goku started to make another sandwich. "I'd go faster if you helped me!"

"I  _did_ help you, before you sucked everything into that bottomless pit you call your stomach. I'm surprised you didn't eat me too."

Unable to think of an adequate rebuttal, Goku simply flipped him off, not even raising his eyes up from the tabletop.

Vegeta chuckled and brought the can away from his mouth. "Cute."

"You're a jerk."

"Just be quiet and finish up the food, okay?"

"Yes,  _darling_ ," Goku drawled. He dropped the butter knife in his hand in shock, and watched it clatter onto the floor.  _What is wrong with me!_

Vegeta stared. He finished off the beer, set it on the table, and stared some more. "What? Are you my  _wife_ now?"

Goku picked up the knife and walked to the sink to rinse it off. The cool water against his fingers distracted him from his embarrassment. "I would like to think a wife of yours would get better treatment than me." Goku never had to wonder why Bulma refused to legally bind herself to the Prince.

Vegeta sat still. "You would make a  _terrible_  wife," he said slowly.

Goku widened his eyes, and went back to the table to prepare more food. "You've thought it over?"

"Just now, yes." Vegeta stared at the light fixture hanging from the ceiling. "The only thing I would need a wife for would be sex and food, and right now you're not giving me either."

_...Wha...What was that?_

… _Sex?_

 _With_ Vegeta?

"Kakarot!"

Goku jumped and saw that he had slathered enough mayonnaise on a piece of toast to turn it into a sopping mess. He grumbled a bit under his breath and tossed it into the trashcan by the countertop.  _I can't believe he said that, geez, SEX with Vegeta, how weird would that be, I never even_ thought  _of that—_

"Kakarot?"

_I mean, how could two guys even do something like that, have sex? I mean, I can't even be naked around Vegeta without freaking out. Oh, a naked Vegeta, yesterday I didn't even get a good enough look at him. I mean, yeah, I did, but it wasn't enough—_

Vegeta waved a hand in front of Goku's face. "Hello?"

 _And back to the sex thing, how is that even possible?! What do guys do? I mean, it's not like you could really put_ it  _anywhere—_

"HEY!"

Goku jumped and dropped the jar of mayonnaise on the floor. "Huh?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Vegeta yelled. He threw his hands up into the air, disgusted. "Just stand outside or something while I finish up the food. You're being completely useless!"

Goku laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Uh, okay!"

He walked out of the kitchen to the front yard, sitting down on one of the flat rocks scattered around in the grass. When Vegeta finally came out, he had the large picnic basket slung over his shoulder.  _Like a purse,_ Goku thought while giggling. Vegeta gave him a weird look.

He knew that his friend was gaining strength back. Fast. Which meant his days having a guest over were coming to a close.

Vegeta flew a few feet into the air. "Where is this island?"

"About four or five miles west." Goku looked at the picnic basket again. "You sure you can handle that? Want me to carry it for you?"

"Shut-up," Vegeta huffed before speeding off opposite the direction of the sun. Goku rose into the air and followed, until he was at Vegeta's side, wind billowing through both their hair. Goku thought of the best way to start up a conversation, if only to push the idea of  _sex, sex, SEX_  out of his head. But he wasn't the first to speak.

"So, Kakarot." Vegeta kept his eyes forward, focused. "When  _was_ the last time you got laid?"

Goku nearly spun out of the sky. "What?!"

"You heard me. Sex. Are you getting any?"

Goku held his mouth wide open, wind choking him a bit. He coughed. "I, uh— _no_?"

There was no change in Vegeta's facial expression. He didn't respond.

Goku gulped. "Are you still having sex with Bulma?"

And at that moment, Vegeta really  _did_  plummet from the sky, picnic going with him. Goku dove down and caught the basket, a resounding " **WHAT**!" echoing in the air around them. The two had just flown over water; Vegeta stopped himself before crashing straight into the ocean. He sped back up to Goku's height, lip almost bleeding from how hard he was biting it.

Goku blushed. "If I knew you were going to react that way—"

"How could you ask me something like that?!" Vegeta screeched.

"You asked me the same question!"

Vegeta folded his arms. "It's not the same!"

"Why not? You get to know my business, but I can't know yours?"

Vegeta blew out a lungful of air and turned his head. "You're an idiot for even asking!"

Goku grasped both hands around the handle of the basket and continued to fly forward. Vegeta came to his side, face blazing. Goku knew it was going to be a long evening.

Surprisingly, he wasn't the one to break the quiet. "Why would you think I wasn't still having sex?!" Vegeta yelled.

"I don't know!" He really wanted to end this conversation. "It was just a question."

"You're lying!"

Goku winced. "Well, I just figured that you two weren't as—"

"As what?"

"Close as before."  _There, it's out there._

Vegeta quirked his mouth in a strange fashion. "Well, if you really care, NO, we are NOT having sex anymore, much to my  _fucking displeasure._ "

"Oh." Goku focused on the billowing waves below them.

"And I want to add that while staying hostage in your house, I most certainly am missing out on any kind of sex I could  _possibly_  be getting otherwise!" Vegeta's eyes were nearly closed shut due to his rage. He stuttered a bit, as if he wasn't sure what kind of point he was trying to make. "So you just remember that every moment I waste with you  _could_ be put to better use!"

Goku was in shock. What the hell was he supposed to say to  _that?_ He decided the smartest thing to do was to keep his mouth shut.

They flew in silence the entire journey to the island. When it appeared in his vision, Goku made a sweeping motion with his arm, as if presenting something special. Vegeta only grunted.

The island was curved into a 'c' shape, creating a small cove in its bend. Hills rose around the cove, offering mild protection against strong wind and ocean waves. After the two set down a blanket under the shadow of a small hill, Goku pointed out a nearby rock cave that dove under the surface of the island itself around ten feet. "There's not much in there, but it's pretty to look at in the daytime."

Goku went on to talk about other parts of the island, but his commentary fell on deaf ears. Vegeta had taken of his boots and was pressing his feet into the sand, as if testing its texture.  _He looks like_ such _a little kid_ , Goku thought.

After stomping around, Vegeta plopped down on the blanket they set earlier. Goku followed in suit, and both of them raided the picnic basket without a hint of mercy.

"I want to know more about what happened."

"Wha?" Goku was halfway through a piece of cake when Vegeta interrupted him. "What are you talking about?"

"Your wife."

Goku gulped down the cake, the sudden dryness in his mouth making it painful. "Why?"

"Come  _off_ it, Kakarot." Vegeta showed mild interest in the sandwich dangling in his left hand. "Do you think you can hide it forever? As your friend, I demand to know more."

 _As my friend, huh? He must be really desperate to have to say that._ "What do you exactly want to know?"

"Anything and everything."

"Geez," Goku muttered. He ate the rest of the huge slice of cake, and then pulled out a bottled water. "I guess I can begin at a few months before she passed away." He paused and put the water back. "Thinking about what happened kind of makes me sad..."

And for a moment, Goku swore he saw hesitation on Vegeta's face. But the Prince said nothing.

"Anyway, we weren't getting along at all."

"What do you mean?" Vegeta took a bite out of the neglected sandwich.

"We got into a lot of fights. She hated my guts."

"That's not a surprise."

Goku ignored him. "I left the house a lot and wouldn't come back until days later. She'd still be mad at me."

"What for? Did you eat your own family out of house and home or something?"

Goku rolled his eyes and leaned back onto his elbows. "No. I didn't."

"What did you do, then?"

"I don't think it had much to do with something I did."  _Gods, thinking about all of this old stuff is weird._  "I mean, of course it had to do with  _me_ , but not really." Goku scratched his arm, not sure how to get the words out. "She was seeing someone else."

Vegeta choked on a piece of sandwich. " _Excuse_ me?"

"Yeah. She was dating some other man. But I knew before she told me. She smelled funny whenever she would go out and come back home."

Vegeta sputtered a bit. He was… _appalled_? "That isn't fair  _at all_."

Goku smiled. "I've never seen you so...indignant. For  _me_!"

"Well!" Vegeta yelled a bit too loud. "You were married to her, weren't you? And according to this stupid planet, being married means you refrain from screwing someone other than your spouse."

"That's right." Goku nodded.

"And you weren't with anyone else, were you?" But before he could reply, Vegeta said, "Of course you weren't, you're  _you._ "

"Actually, I wasn't too upset over it." Goku clawed his hands through the sand beyond the blanket. "I think she deserved someone who could be reliable. Someone who could really  _love_  her, you know? I don't even think I was alive for a lot of our marriage."

Vegeta stared. "Do you really think that? That you're so unreliable, your own wife deserved someone better than you?"

"Um…Yeah. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

Vegeta shook his head in disbelief. He avoided Goku's eyes. "Don't ever say that again. It's not true."

 _Of course it's true. What wife doesn't want someone around to love her constantly?_ Shifting more sand between his fingers, Goku continued. "As I was saying, we didn't get along because she had found someone else. I think…she thought she could live a better life with him, and was wasting her life away with me. But we'd been together for so long, she thought it would be wrong to just leave me right out."

"Of course not. Leaving you would be wrong, but  _staying_ with you while sleeping with someone  _else_  isn't." Revolted, Vegeta put down whatever remained of his sandwich.

"This is all stuff I only  _think_ is true. So I  _think_  that's how she felt. She didn't outright tell me all of that." He poked his chin. "So one day, she tells me she's seeing this other guy, and how happy he makes her. Told me how she felt loved for the first time in her life." Vegeta said nothing, so he continued. "I didn't know how I was supposed to feel. I just told her it was fine with me."

"Oh, Kakarot." Vegeta rubbed the space between his eyebrows.

"A few months after she told me about  _that_ , she became really sick."

"Sick? With what?"

Goku chewed his lip and stared into the sky. "A... _malignant_  tumor. That's what they called it."

"Hmm."

"At first I thought she was pregnant because she was throwing up a lot. She thought the same. But when she finally went to the doctor after a few months," Goku wiped some sweat from his brow, "she told them how she wasn't growing any. After examining her, they told her what was  _really_  wrong..."

"Kakarot. Listen to me."

Goku shook his head to readjust his vision. His eyes had blurred a bit after he'd been staring off mindlessly for too long. "What?"

"By the way you're telling me all of this—and I hope this isn't true— it sounds like you think some of this is your fault."

"Maybe it is," Goku blurted.

"That's stupid. It isn't."

"A lot of bad stuff happened at one time." Goku began to breathe heavily. "Like it was all coming together..."

"It was just a coincidence."

Goku shook his head. "She went to live with Ox King—her father—after she spent some time in the hospital. There were a few alternatives the doctor offered, but none of them a guarantee."

"When all of this happened," Vegeta said, "did she say anything in particular about...your youngest son?"

Goku raised a brow. "It's weird that you bring that up. She did. She was worried about Goten being raised 'properly'," he said making quotations with his fingers, "after she died, so she tried to find somewhere else for him to live." Goku purposely avoided telling him that Chi-Chi wanted Goten to live at Capsule Corp.

"She was wrong to say that. You're fully capable of taking care of your own offspring." Vegeta paused, avoiding Goku's eyes. "You've managed to live with  _me_  for almost two whole days. That should count for  _something_ , shouldn't it?"

Goku smiled, not sure if Vegeta was simply trying to make him feel better, or was being honest. But he figured Vegeta never bothered trying to make  _anyone_  feel better, so he had to be telling the truth. "Chi-Chi thought otherwise."

" _Chi-Chi_ can go fuck herself."

"Vegeta!" A deep frown settled in on Goku's face. "Don't  _ever_  say anything like that again." Goku held anyone he considered close to him high in respect, especially if they were dead.

But Vegeta shrugged off the comment. "What happened after she went to live with her father?"

"She would send me some letters. Never any phone calls. I could only write to her, since I didn't feel welcome going over Ox King's house during that time. I told her that Goten would always stay with me. She didn't get a chance to reply back."

"Why not?" Vegeta asked. Suddenly, he looked down and clenched his eyes, embarrassed. "Oh, right."

Goku fell back onto the quilt, agitated. "That's pretty much all that happened." He was tired.

"And what happened to the man she was seeing?"

"Oh!" Goku smiled. "He came over our house one day. When I answered the door, he took one glance at me and looked like he wet himself."

Vegeta cackled softly, delighted. He reached into the picnic basket to get another beer. "Good."

"Yeah, I wasn't too impressed."  _Almost_ forgetting there was food in front of him, he got out another sandwich to munch on. "But I told him what happened. He left, and that was the last I ever heard of him."

"Mmm." Vegeta put down the can. "All I can say is that I'm sorry all of that had to happen. You were a good husband, and  _are_  a good father. No matter what your harpy told you."

Goku stared at the drifting clouds in the sky, heart heavy.  _But she was right about me not being able to take care of Goten._

"Kakarot?"

"Yeah?"

"You should get another woman."

"HA!" Goku shouted, earning himself a weird look from Vegeta. "Oh,  _no_. I don't think I could handle something like that all over again. I don't think I'll ever be able to understand women."

Vegeta nodded furiously, as if the statement was the smartest thing he'd ever heard. "Let's fight then. I'm tired of talking about this, probably moreso than you."

Goku didn't know why, but he was most certain that sparring would relieve him of whatever ghosts decided to haunt him at that moment. He got up off the blanket and put his hands on his hips.  _Oh, yeah!_

"Speaking of women, I have something weird to tell you." Goku stared down at Vegeta.

"What?"

"Whenever I go into the city—like, to the store or something—I get  _attacked_ by women."

"What?!" Vegeta jumped up off the ground, fists clenched.

"Yeah! They come from everywhere, asking me what my name is and if I have a girlfriend—"

"Are you  _serious_? They just come flocking to you?"

"Yes! Isn't that weird?" Goku grinned to match Vegeta's growing frown.

"…That never happens to  _me_  when  _I_ go places."

 _He's actually pissed off!_ "Uh, consider yourself lucky, Vegeta. It's really annoying."

Vegeta grounded a foot into the sand. "I can't believe it. Kakarot...A  _stud._ "

"A  _what_?"

Vegeta scanned his eyes up and down Goku's body.  _Leering_. "I guess I can't say I'm surprised."

 _Huh?_ "What do you mean?"

Ignoring him, Vegeta flew up off the blanket into the air. "Enough with the talking." He sped off in a burst of gold light to the opposite side of the island.

"Hey, wait for me!" Goku followed the golden trail left in Vegeta's wake.  _How many times am I going to end up chasing after him?_


	6. Part Six

The sun bore down on the both of them as they fought, sweeping an arc across the sky to the opposite horizon. Soon there was dusk, then darkness. Into the night they went on, yellow moonlight glistening off skin moist with hours of exertion. Vegeta was exhausted beyond belief.

When Goku complained of hunger pains, Vegeta had suspicion he was lying to simply end the fight. Either way, he let Goku go back down to the island to eat. He waited a good while, and out of impatience floated down from the sky to see what was taking so long. He found Goku dead asleep on the blanket, next to a now empty picnic basket.

"Pathetic," he said, gently kicking one of Goku's legs. He sat down beside the snoring body, and looked out at the horizon. The sky was only a shade darker than the turbulent ocean water, foreboding even in weak moonlight. Both the sky and water seemed to sit flat against each other, opposite, yet nearly identical in appearance when in darkness.  _How many times has Kakarot sat and watched this alone?_

And how many more days would he spend with Goku, feeling as if he existed in a different world? Forever ago, he lived in Capsule Corp and could hear the sounds of a nearby a city. Out  _here_ , it was deathly quiet _._ Surely he couldn't stay much longer, now that he was feeling better.

 _But..._ He looked over at Goku, whose mouth was wide open and nearly drooling.  _Fool. I can't leave him when he's looking like_ that,  _can I?_

He drew his knees up to his chin, and pulled his legs closer to his body. If anyone saw how much he  _allowed_ the past few days, he would probably die in shame. The Prince of all Saiyans... _cavorting_  with a third-class. Like it was no big deal.

 _It isn't a big deal._ He rested his forehead on his knees, relaxing the sore muscles in his neck. A lot of things stopped being a big deal once he accepted that Planet Vegeta was gone for good, and that his only real living 'subject' was Goku. He now had a family. And supposedly friends. Feeling obliged to follow strict ideology from an extinct society was a game he grew tired of years ago.

So what was he to think of Goku  _now?_

"Hey, you," came a soft voice from beside him. He lifted his head and was met with the vision of a heavy-lidded Goku. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"That's no fun," Goku said with a bit of a slur, half-awake. "You should lie down next to me and look at the stars."

Vegeta slid down onto his back and scooted next to Goku. He looked over and saw that Goku's eyes were fluttering nonstop, as if trying to fight back sleep. "Go back to sleep, Kakarot."

"Noo," Goku whined. "I don't want to."

"You're delusional." Vegeta pointed up at the sky. "There aren't even any stars out tonight."

"I swear I'll get up and we can spar again. I  _promise_..." Lazily he slid his right hand up to his heart. "I want to make use...of the time we still have together. You're really, really..." He yawned. " _Fun._ "

Vegeta shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," Goku whispered. He gave up on keeping his eyes open.

Vegeta thought back to earlier that morning, right before he put Goku into a headlock. How he knew he would want to fight with Goku until the end of his life. "I don't know if you knew this," he began, wondering if he was about to make a mistake, "but we're most likely going to outlive everyone we know."

"I knew that, 'Geta." Another yawn.

"Does that bother you any?"

Goku shook his head. "It used to. Not anymore. Besides, you'll still be here with me."

Instantly, Vegeta turned his head to gape at Goku. He began to tremble, and tried to say something,  _anything_ , in response. "Kakarot...I appreciate that."

Goku rolled over to his side to face Vegeta. Half his face pressed into the blanket. "You're  _very_  important to me."

Vegeta couldn't breathe.  _I wish he wouldn't look at me like that._ He closed his eyes, ignoring the heat rising to his face, only to feel a warm palm brush against his cheek.  _What?_

He opened his eyes and saw that Goku was now awake.  _Wide_ awake. His hand slid down the side of Vegeta's face, gently, before cupping his chin firmly. "Vegeta," he said, soft, before leaning forward.

And now the Prince could not see anything at all; he felt his body lock up and a haze go over his eyes.  _He wouldn't dare_...

He went into shock. Goku's mouth pressed against his  _own,_ plying and toying.  _Invading._ The first thought that sprung into his mind was how gentle and  _wet_ it all was. Heat rose to his face and everywhere  _else_ , constricting all scenes except the taste of Goku in his mouth.  _Gods, he has a_ taste, and almost on instinct he pulled his hands up to grasp the back of Goku's head. He scraped his fingers against scalp, and pulled his body closer to deepen the kiss.

 _Fuck._ He couldn't yell, curse, complain,  _anything_. All coherent thoughts that flitted through his head melted away as he kept on  _shaking_  at the thought...of  _Kakarot_...kissing  _him_...Goku thrust his tongue into his mouth; in response he arched his back, jolted with sudden pleasure. Strong hands slid up the back of his shirt, rubbing against sinew. He shook even more, the warmth kneading into his back with all the tenderness in the world.

Not even sure if he wanted  _this_ —whatever  _this_  was that was going on—he simply went limp. He felt himself being rolled over onto his back, hands still caught in spiky hair. The heavy body sat on top of him, lips still pressed against his own. The new weight made him dizzy, pressure growing in his groin. Goku was kissing him faster now, almost furious.

"Kakarot," he breathed when Goku finally pulled away from his face, panting. His rival, his  _friend_ , was heavy-lidded with pure  _lust_ , face sweaty and red. His lips were swollen and parted, slowly gasping to catch his breath. He stared into Vegeta's eyes,  _hopeful_  for what was about to happen next.

Vegeta pulled his hands out of Goku's hair and held them suspended in the air, awkward... _Horrified,_ he slapped Goku clean across the face. "Kakarot!"

"OW!" Goku's neck snapped left. A glowing hand mark appeared on his right cheek. "What did you do that for!"

The world around Vegeta came into better focus.  _Gods, what was I about to—?!_ Still trembling, he shoved Goku off his body. He sat himself up. "What do you mean, what did I do that for!" He hugged himself, trying to stop the shaking. "What the  _fuck_  was that about?! What were you doing?!"

"I—I thought—"

"Thought what? That I wanted to  _fuck_  you?!"

Goku's mouth open and shut wildly as he stuttered. "I don't know!"

"You  _don't know_?!" He threw his hands up and roared. "How can you _fucking not know_?! You  _kissed_  me!"

"But you kissed me back!" Goku yelled, eyes adverted.

Vegeta brought both hands up to cover his mouth, shocked. He lowered them quickly to shout one last thing. "It was a  _reflex_!"

 _Oh, gods, no one's fucking stupid enough to believe something like that._ He brought his palms up to his eyes and moaned. Wind whipped at his face, cooling his sweltering skin.  _Shit!_

When he removed his hands, he saw Goku sitting with his back to him. His head was lowered. "Are you mad at me?"

" _OF COURSE I AM_!" Vegeta was sure a vein was about to pop on his forehead. "You  _mouth-raped_  me!"

"Oh, man, this is so embarrassing!" Goku squeaked.

Vegeta stood up off the ground, disoriented. He smoothed down his shirt, remembering how Goku had rubbed his back earlier. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, Kakarot." He wobbled a bit on both feet.

"Huh?" Goku craned his head back to look up at Vegeta, eyes sad.

"I think you and me...spending so much time together...has made you a bit crazy."

Goku blinked. " _Crazy?"_

"Yes. Very much so." He crossed his arm, trying to regain his normal cool temperament.  _Calm down. Nothing to worry about. Just...get the fuck away. Yes. Get away and don't think about it anymore._ "I'm leaving."

"Leaving?!" Goku jumped up off the ground. "But—"

 _Okay, fuck being calm._ "But what? Do you expect me to stay while you try and take advantage of me?!" He looked up into the sky, incensed. "You're a bigger idiot than I thought!"

"Vegeta, I'm sorry!" Goku gave him one of his signature pitiful looks, this one completely sincere.

But not wanting to hear any more, Vegeta blasted off into the sky. Sand kicked up around him as he climbed higher into the atmosphere, trying to drown out the voices of dissent in the back of his head.

It would take a little bit over an hour to get back to Capsule Corp.

* * *

Goku fell back onto his rear, eyes fixed on the streak of gold breaking through the dark sky. He stared until his eyes began to water, and only a ghost of an image was left in his memory. He fell back onto the blanket, limbs spread across the ground.

"Dammit." He rubbed his burning right cheek. Everything in the past few minutes was a blur. Sleep had almost taken him when the idea popped in his head, completely plausible, Vegeta lying there looking so vulnerable and  _wanting_. Never before had the connection between them been stronger, except maybe during fusion long ago in the past. In his mind he heard a voice say,  _Go for it_ , and he did, not even caring what it meant for it to actually happen, for him to  _want_  it to happen.

And reflex or no, Vegeta had kissed him  _back_.  _And gods, what a kiss that was._  Vegeta hadn't shown a hint of disgust...At least not until he opened his eyes and  _really_  understood what was going on.

Goku brought his head up and smashed it against the ground a few times, the sand under the blanket creating a dent.  _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

_I want him. Bad._

It made all the sense in the world. Running through the past few days in his head, he remembered wanting to touch Vegeta so badly during the moments he felt nearly giddy at the stomach from having him around. Having his presence, visage, and even  _scent_  invading his own home was...stimulating, to say the least. He couldn't understand it until the moment he knew he wanted a kiss from the most unattainable person on Earth.

 _So stupid._ He clinched his fists. What could he do now? He had no idea how much he liked Vegeta more than a friend.  _Not that it matters._ He knew Vegeta would never like him back in  _that_  kind of way, no matter how much he wished it possible.

 _He wouldn't want that from me. Ever._ The finality of the thought brought a wave of sadness upon him. Would he have to live the rest of his life pining after a person who would never want him? And with Vegeta flying off like that, who even knew when he would see him again, if at all?  _I royally screwed things up this time._ He laughed a bit.  _Royally._

His feelings...crush...whatever it was...had to go away. Fast.

A sudden whim coming to him, he lifted his head up to look at the commotion going on past his waist.  _Oh, wow._

He let his head fall back onto the blanket.  _No. No way. Uh-uh._ He couldn't do  _that_. That would be  _completely_  wrong, maybe even disgusting with what just happened.  _And not out in the open, that would be really...rude._

His hand had second thoughts. Before he knew it, his fingers were slipping beneath the waistband of his pants. He felt the warmth wrap around his length, which hardened even more under the touch.  _Damn._

He stroked slow at first, basking in the act he hadn't committed in so long.  _Nng..._ Muscles in his thighs tensed as he ran a thumb up a vein to the head, rubbing the dripping wetness that was gathering. He arched his back and gasped, pressing his thumb harder against his tip.  _Gods._ A sweat broke out across his forehead, the new heat smothering, and he quickly pulled his hand away to slide his pants down to his knees.

A haze blurred his vision as he began to pant.  _Vegeta_. He was slick between his fingers now, and moaning. Pleasure twisted into a knot in his abdomen, aching hard enough to be glorious pain that made him now writhe against the ground.

He imagined Vegeta pressed hard against him, thrusting, again and  _again_ , the friction  _unbearable_. Goku began to rock into his hand, hard, imagining Vegeta staring back at him from above. He dug his other hand into the blanket, imaging those same fingers digging into the hardened muscle of the Prince's back, grasping against sweat. He almost peaked, but was brought down again, as if being teased. Over and over and over again, excruciating, painful,  _wonderful_...

"Oh..." He threw his head back, the world tilting in his upside-down vision. He keened low in his throat, tightening his grip, drowning in blind ecstasy, and  _Oh, gods_ , all the tension in his body spurt out from between his fingers. Euphoric, he watched his pleasure dribble out from his fist and onto his stomach. He pumped a few more times, before it slipped from his grasp entirely. Spent.

He lied on the ground paralyzed. The afterglow of orgasm made him feel drowsy and satiated. The heat that had hold of him had disappeared, and the nearly frigid ocean air blowing across the sand was cooling the sweat across his face and arms. On top of the exhaustion from fighting earlier, he knew he wouldn't be moving anytime soon.

He closed his eyes and focused on falling asleep. Ghostly images of Vegeta danced around in his mind, taunting, before he finally slipped from consciousness.

* * *

Vegeta placed the cup of coffee down on the kitchen table. The bright light glaring in his eyes was annoying, as was the look Bulma was giving him.

"Vegeta." she said. She was sitting across from him, a steaming cup in her own hand. A silk robe draped around her shoulders. "Why the  _hell_ are you here again? Do you know how late it is?"

"Hnn." He sipped from his cup. "I thought now was a good time to come back."

Silence. She frowned. " _Why_."

He held his arms out, as if presenting his body. "I'm all better, woman. Don't you see?"

"I'm happy for you." She ran her index finger around the rim of her cup. "But that doesn't explain why you decided to come back around  _midnight_."

"Kakarot. He tried to—"

"Get it out already."

Vegeta blushed. "He  _kissed_ me!"

Bulma made a strange noise that was a mix between a cough and a laugh. "Excuse me?!"

"He did! His lazy ass was sleeping, and I got down beside him. Next thing I know—"

"You're on your  _back_?" Bulma squealed in delight and laughed. "Oh, my gosh, Vegeta!"

"Shut-up!" He took a big gulp of coffee and glared across at Bulma, who was in hysterics. "I don't see what's so hilarious!"

"Haha! Oh, goodness!" She doubled over and squeezed her stomach. Her hair draped over her red face. "Are you sure you aren't making this up?"

" _NO_!"

She pounded a fist into the table, giggling. "Goku has a  _crush_ on you! That is so  _cute_!"

"CUTE!" Vegeta fisted his fingers through his hair, bringing Bulma into another fit of laughter. "I can't believe you!"

"Oh, Vegeta, you are a  _riot._ " Bulma's shoulders bounced up and down. "And don't— _haha_ —don't tell me you came running here afterward!"

Vegeta sat silent.

Bulma's laughs faded away. "You didn't!"

"What was I supposed to do? Sit there and make out with him?" He ignored the fact that's  _exactly_ what he did for a short time.

Bulma shook her head. "You can be real dense sometimes, you know that?"

"What?" Vegeta put his face into his hands.  _This is absolutely ridiculous._

"I don't know. I mean, you could have at least made him  _not_  think you hate him."

"But I  _do_."

"Oh, come on!" Bulma winked. "I think you may have enjoyed yourself over there more than you think." She rested her chin in her hands, sighing. "You must have really swept him off his feet."

"Oh, fuck it all."

"You  _Casanova_ , you."

"Shut-up."

"But poor Goku." She smiled sadly. "You've been so selfish, that you haven't even thought about his feelings."

 _That isn't true at all_ , he wanted to say. He'd spent the entire evening talking to Goku about his dead wife, trying to convince the idiot that he wasn't as worthless as he made himself out to be. But the kiss...it had been too much. The final straw. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

Bulma's eyes widened a bit, the look familiar to Vegeta. She was concocting a plan. An  _evil_ one, most likely.  _Shit._ "Vegeta, I have the perfect idea!"

 _I can read her like a book._ "What."

"I'm going to throw a party and invite tons of people over, including all of Goku's friends. Yeah!" She nodded, self-approving her own plan in her head. "They'll help cheer him up, since you  _failed_  at doing that." Ignoring Vegeta's raised brow, she went on. "And when he's here, you can give him an apology."

"An apology!" It was his turn to slam a fist onto the table, almost smashing right through it. Bulma jumped. "He almost  _raped_ me."

"Stop being so dramatic!"

"I'm being  _dead_ serious!"

She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, when he comes over, you are going to give him all the reason in the world to make him believe you don't hate him, okay?"

"Gods, woman! It's like you don't even care what happens to me!"  _Just a day ago I couldn't move!_

"Vegeta," she said, taking his closest hand into her own. He was surprised by the sudden gesture, and warmth of her palm. "I need you to understand something. Goku isn't like you."

He scoffed. "I figured that out a long time ago."

"No. You don't get it. He can't blow off everything like you can. He's obviously very confused if he's kissing  _you_. He needs some help and encouragement so he can get better. I can tell he's so sad that Chi-Chi isn't around anymore. And Goten."

Vegeta perked at the mention of Chi-Chi's name, wanting to tell Bulma all he found out from Goku. But he kept his mouth shut, assuming the opportunity would come later. "If he needs so much help, why can't  _you_ give it to him?"

"Because he  _trusts_  you the most, Vegeta!" she shouted. "As much as I hate to say it, you're his best friend right now. Even though he's known other people for nearly his entire life..." She trailed off a bit, Vegeta catching on to her suggestion. Bulma was Goku's first real friend outside of his grandfather. "You are the one he connects with the most."

Vegeta sighed. "Damn." Not waiting for another comment, he pulled his hand away from Bulma's and stood up from the table. "I'm going to bed."

Bulma sipped from her coffee. "You promise to make it up to Goku, right?"

"Whatever," he mumbled, walking up the flight of stairs leading out of the kitchen.  _Kakarot has given me more trouble than any other person I know._

"Hey, Vegeta!"

He swiveled around, looking down the stairs at Bulma. "What is it now, woman?"

"Don't go falling in  _love_  on me. It would totally clash with your image."

He made a huge racket while stomping up the stairs, drowning out Bulma's laughter.


	7. Part Seven

Two weeks passed, and Vegeta still hadn't heard word from Goku. Not that he was waiting. Quickly he saw that the Gravity Room was a poor substitute for Goku, so mid-afternoon most days he strode back into Capsule Corp, bored. Never before was he a person that enjoyed being idle for too long—but lounging around different rooms soon became his favorite pastime. He even started to wander around Bulma's lab, poking his nose in test tubes and closed-off experimentation rooms. One afternoon, Bulma came into her lab to check up on a side-project dealing with Petri dishes...only to find Vegeta stomping around. Impatient.

"What are you doing here?" She frowned at him, buttoning up her coat.

"Oh," Vegeta said, trying to feign surprise. He leaned up against a wall and crossed his arms. "Since you're here, I'd like to ask you something."

"Yeah?" She took a seat on a swivel chair near a table.

"That...party thing you were planning. It's taking you forever. Is it going to happen?"

Bulma blinked. "What? You actually care about the party?"

Vegeta grit his teeth, annoyed. "I was just  _wondering_ , so I can prepare myself for when the barrage of idiots show up."

Still confused, Bulma scratched her head. "I was planning on having it next Saturday. I still have to call up some people, but getting party favors and food shouldn't be a problem for the company..."

"So you're waiting another week?"

"What? Do you want it sooner?"

Scoffing, Vegeta made his way out of the lab. "I was only asking."

Bulma spun around in her chair and pulled herself up to the cluttered table. "I talked to Goku the other day."

She heard Vegeta make a strange noise, as if surprised. She grinned.

"What did he say?"

"You have a phone too, you know. You could call him up yourself."

Shockingly fast, Vegeta was at her side. "What did you two talk about?!"

"He said that he's been training a lot."

Vegeta balled his fists. "Really."

"And I told him about the party. He said he would love to come, but he's doesn't want to make you mad."

"Well...He should worry about making me mad! What makes him think I got over what happened?" He tapped his foot. "He's got some nerve!"

Bulma laughed softly. "You're a real piece of work."

"What? What does that mean?"

"Nothing." She waved her hand and busied herself with a pile of papers on the desk. When Vegeta continued to stand beside her, she looked up again. "What do you want  _now?_ "

"Is he coming to the party or not?"

"Probably! He said he would think about it." She went back to the work on the desk.

Vegeta still didn't move from her side. "Two weeks ago you seemed really excited about all of this."

Face hidden from his view, she smirked. "What do you mean?"

"About the party. About how the  _whole reason_ you wanted to throw it was to get Kakarot over here! You seem not to care anymore."

"Geez, Vegeta, why are you badgering me about this?"

"Bah!" He threw his arms up into the air. "Just forget I said anything!" Grumbling the whole way, he left the lab. It was infuriating how vague Bulma was being. And if he didn't know any better, she was doing it on purpose just to piss him off.

 _God, it's so fucking boring around here._ Goku had been good entertainment— _that_  much he could admit. Even though he somehow wound up with the younger Saiyan's tongue in his mouth. He wanted Goku around to make fun of, to beat up, to hell,  _talk_ to. Over the past few weeks he'd contemplated calling him up, or even sending a text message. But after thinking on it, he felt that he wasn't ready to debase himself to such low of a level quite yet.

So he had to stay content just wandering. Thinking on his conversation with Bulma and wondering what other details she left out, he walked into the lounge room adjacent to the kitchen. He flopped onto the couch and wiggled a bit into the cushions. Right beside him was the infamous table Goku had knocked over weeks ago, leading to the screwed up situation he was in now. He stared at the photographs lined on the glass.

Never before had they been so interesting.

He ignored anyone else in the pictures  _except_ for Goku. In nearly each one, he had that stupid, heart-on-sleeve,  _so-innocent-it-makes-me-want-to-puke_ look on his face. But after studying two different photos of Gohan and Goten, he saw that the smile had also been passed on to both Son children. And it didn't help any that Goten now looked nearly identical to Goku.

"All three of them are good-looking."

Vegeta jumped a bit, shocked, as if someone else had said the statement aloud. He looked around the room, expecting to see someone hiding in a corner,  _spying_  on him. He slid off the couch and headed toward his room.

_I'm going absolutely mad._

* * *

Hundreds of miles from Goku's house were a series of islands stripped of all plant life. During the past few weeks they'd been pounded, blown, and torn into smithereens relentlessly. Powering up to such a high level that created wanton destruction bothered Goku, but he felt like he had few other options that would keep him busy. Staying in his house alone now seemed like torture. Vegeta had even left his clothes there, and Goku had to put them up so he didn't have to look at them anymore.

High into the sky he stared down at the land masses. They were smoking and charred.

 _I don't want to think._ He pulled back his arms and positioned himself for what was about to happen.  _Might as well. I've come this far._ "Ka...me...HA..." He felt his energy rise drastically.

_Brrring!_

He stopped. "What the—?" He looked down at his right pocket. His cell phone was ringing.  _I didn't even know I had it with me!_ His energy dropped, and the islands lived another day. He pulled out his phone, wondering if it was maybe..."Hello?"

"Hey, Dad!"

Goku smiled. "Hey, Gohan!"

"How's it going?"

"Good!" Goku laughed. He hadn't talked to Gohan in a long time, and felt warm at hearing his voice again.

"That's great. Um, before I tell you something else, I have to ask you a question. I just felt a huge amount of energy appear not too far from your house—"

"Oh." Goku blushed and put a hand behind his head. "Sorry."

"What are you doing out there?"

"Just training." He sighed and looked down at the islands.

"Oh," Gohan said, sounding a bit suspicious. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that Goten just called me."

Goku's eyes widened. "He did?!"

"Yeah! But I don't know where he is now. I think he called me from someone else's phone, because when I tried to call back, they said they didn't know a Goten."

Goku felt his heart beat wildly. "What did he talk to you about?"

"He said he would come into town in a few days."

Goku laughed, and bounced throughout the air. "That's wonderful! Did he say he would call me? Is he upset? What's going on with his girlfriend?"

"He said he didn't...want to talk to you just yet."

"What?" Goku frowned, the joy he felt now slipping away. "Why not?"

"He didn't say. He just told me he would come through in a few days, and asked if he could stay over my place. I told him he could, of course. Then he just hurried off the phone."

"So he's upset at me."

"I don't think so, Dad! Everything that happened was kind of weird, you know? He just got up and left without a way for us to contact him. I think he has a few problems of his own to work out."

"This wouldn't have happened if I were a better dad." Goku stared down at his dangling feet, surprised at himself for being so blunt.

"That isn't true." The line was silent for a moment. "You are a wonderful father. And I would know better than anyone."

"I don't know what to  _do_ , Gohan."

"Just let him come to you. I think everything will be okay."

Goku looked up into the sky.  _Gohan knows all of the right things to say. I don't._ Clouds shaded him from the sun a bit. It was humid out today. "I feel like I'm sitting around and waiting out a lot of things."

"Hmm," Gohan said. "What about Vegeta? Can't you train with him or something to get your mind off things?"

Goku groaned. "Me and him aren't on, uh, speaking terms right now."

"Oh, boy. I'm not surprised about that." He laughed. "Did Bulma call you about the party?"

"She did. I guess I should go, since it would be weird if I didn't show up."

"Good. I've been busy a lot with work," he sighed, "but I miss you, Dad. I need to see you."

"I miss you too, Gohan."

"I expect to see you at the party, okay?"

"Yeah, alright."

"Good. I'll talk to you then. Bye!" Gohan hung up.

Goku put the phone back in his pocket. "I wish I could just  _talk_  to Goten," he said softly, heading back to his house.

* * *

For a week Vegeta watched all of Bulma's plans come into culmination. He was impressed with how easily she could plan events, and gather up enough morons to 'have fun' with in one place. But no matter how stupid of a skill he thought it was, it was a skill nonetheless.

Saturday finally came, and along with it, glorious lights. In the back of Capsule Corp was a huge field, and decorators came in to string the surrounding trees with thousands of bright bulbs. Vegeta jumped a bit when the lights were flicked on and off for testing, mystified at how much the landscape changed with a bit of illumination. He meandered around outside, watching movers pull in huge tables and hundreds of chairs. Bulma was outside ushering men with trolleys left and right, her voice almost at a shrill.

"No! That doesn't go there. Do you have no taste? You don't put a bunch of tables at different angles!"

"Woman, what's with all the screaming?"

"These people are being complete idiots. They act as if they've never set up a party before!" She looked over at a large van that was backing into the field. The back door flipped open on accident, and dozens of people fell out of the truck bed. "Gods!"

Vegeta smirked, and scanned his eyes around the field. "What is  _that_ thing over  _there_?"

"Huh?" She turned her head and looked at the large stage being set up a few yards away. "That's where the band is going to play."

"Band?!"

"Yeah! If there's going to be karaoke, there has to be a real, live band. It makes things a lot more fun, you know?"

"Karaoke? Are you serious?"

Bulma nodded. "Duh! What kind party doesn't have karaoke?"

"I don't know. A good one?"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just stand somewhere and make sure you don't get in the way."

Vegeta huffed and walked off. He didn't want to admit to himself that he was anxious. This was just another normal party, and he would hang around and watch everyone else from afar like he normally did.

That's right, just stand around and watch no one in particular. Not Goku.

Time went by agonizingly slow. Vegeta spent most of the day outside, watching the tables and chairs and food be set in place as if conjured. At five o'clock, the lights in the trees were turned on, and they shimmered and danced throughout the leaves. A small band wandered through the maze of chaos and set up on the stage. Twenty minutes later, people were already beginning to filter in, the band warming up over the sound of murmuring voices.

"Hey, Vegeta!"

He was leaning against a table when he heard the annoying voice. He looked around and saw Krillin walking toward him. He frowned a bit. "Um, hi."

Beside Krillin were two blondes, the smaller one with her hair in pigtails. She looked like she was around twelve or thirteen. "Hi, Mr. Vegeta," Marron said softly.

"Humph," Vegeta responded.

Krillin smiled nervously, before Bulma swept in between the both of them. "Hey, Krillin!"

The nervous flush in Krillin's face lifted instantly. "Oh, hey Bulma!" He gave her a big hug. "I haven't heard from you or a lot of others in a long time! I even started to miss Vegeta!" They both laughed. Krillin glanced over at Vegeta, who gave him a murderous look.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's just cranky that his playmate hasn't shown up yet," Bulma said.

Vegeta looked aghast. " _Playmate?_ "

"Oh, Goku?" Krillin chuckled. "I haven't seen Goku in a while either! We need to catch up." He smiled at Vegeta, hesitant. "Don't worry, Vegeta. You're not the only one waiting for everybody's favorite guy to show up!"

 _FUCK._ Vegeta ground a foot into the grass. "Shut-up already!"

Krillin panicked and strode back a few steps, but Bulma held onto his shoulder. "Come on, Krillin. Let me show you the chocolate fountain I got!" Relieved, Krillin and his family walked away with Bulma to get out of Vegeta's sight.

"Stupid Kakarot and his stupid friends," he muttered. More people he recognized strolled in: Master Roshi, Yamcha, Gohan...Annoyed, he walked off to find a tree to hide under.  _This night is going to last forever._

Finding a large oak a good enough distance away from the commotion, he sat down on its roots. He looked up and to his right at bit, aware of the presence there. "How did Bulma find  _you_?"

Floating with his legs crossed Indian style was Piccolo. Vegeta felt hot just looking at him: the Namek was draped in his normal heavy clothing, and it was summertime. The top of his head nearly touched the branches in the tree. Vegeta also chuckled to himself: Piccolo looked quite impressive with all of the light bulbs flashing around him.

Piccolo stared out into the distance, unnerved. "Gohan told me about this get-together. He wanted me to come."

"Oh, isn't that just great _._ "

"I know you felt the spike in energy today," Piccolo said abruptly.

Vegeta growled. "I did. What does it matter? It wasn't like there was an attack anywhere—"

"You  _know_ it was Goku. By himself. What's going on with him?"

"I'm not the man's babysitter!" Vegeta spat. "How would I know what's wrong with him?"

"So something  _is_ wrong."

Vegeta slapped his forehead. "Fuck."

Piccolo remained silent while Vegeta plucked out of the ground shrubbery growing in between the roots of the tree. All of a sudden, a great big cheer came from the crowd of people at the center of the party. Vegeta lifted his head toward the commotion, confused.

"Goku is here," Piccolo said with a smirk.

So many people had come, Vegeta first noticed. The majority of them were Capsule Corp employees, a lot of them people he'd never even seen before. But everyone seemed to radiate to a single point, where an orange-clad figure was waving his arms around frantically. The spiky hair that rose above the crowd made Goku stand out from all of the others, as if emanating a certain glow. Vegeta stood up off the ground to get a better look, throwing all shame out the window. He even ran up to the crowd to get a closer look.

Clinging to Goku were several bodies, all gushing and yelling. Vegeta could see Krillin, Yamcha, Bulma, and a tired looking Gohan hanging onto Goku from every direction. Even through all of the people, Vegeta could tell that Goku was blushing, shocked by all of the attention. Pooled around him were more Z-fighters, all trying to talk over each other. On the outskirts of the group hug were employees that looked dumbstruck, wondering why the guy that had just arrived was so special.

 _Everybody loves that idiot._  But even with all that happened, he couldn't resist smiling.

* * *

"GOKU!"

"Dad!"

"Whoa!" Goku yelled, feeling himself being lifted up off the ground by Yamcha. "I didn't know I was a celebrity!"

"Hey! Everyone get out of the way!" Master Roshi waved his cane through a pair of legs in the crowd. "We need to get through!"

Goku felt someone grab his hand and pull him through the mass of people. Soon he was sitting at a table that was half-empty. He saw that it was Bulma holding his hand and ushering him. "Goku, we've missed you so much!"

"Yeah!" Krillin took a chair opposite of Goku at the table. "What have you been up to, buddy?"

"Knowing him, just training and eating!" Yamcha yelled. Everyone at the table laughed, and Goku turned a shade of red. To his right sat Bulma, and his left, Gohan.

"I tried to make a quiet entrance. Looks like I failed," he said _._

"You got that right." Gohan laughed, and looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Videl! Come over here!"

Goku turned around as well, the noise in the air making him dizzy and confused. Videl came up beside him and smiled. She was wearing a loose blouse that barely fit around her stomach.

"Oh, my gosh!" Goku pressed a hand against her protruding belly. "How soon—?"

"Next month."

He gasped. "I can't believe it. I'm going to be a grandfather." His features darkened a bit, and his voice lowered. "I'm getting old."

"Whatever, Goku," Krillin said. "I think that on the inside, you'll always be a kid."

"Yeah. I really don't think you've changed that much since I first met you!" Playfully, Bulma tousled Goku's hair. "Same hair, same happiness, same  _everything_."

Goku smiled. "I'm glad I get to see all of you again." Despite how nervous it made him to have so much attention all put on  _him_ , he was glad. He'd been living a bit too long without laughter ringing in his ears.

Into the night Goku talked with all of them: to Krillin about his family, and Gohan about his job. He felt like a warmth was surrounding him from all sides, loving and protective. The feeling had been lost over a year ago, and he was happy to have it back. Maybe even  _greedy_  for the feeling. But when everyone around him was deep in conversation, Bulma nudged his side.

"Vegeta told me what happened."

He froze. "Oh, no."

"How you kissed him." She winked. "Do you like him or something?"

Goku blushed. "Uh, I, um—"

"Hey! Son Goku!"

Glad to have an interruption, Goku turned around in his chair. "Huh?"

Walking up to him was no one other than Taffy. Her blonde hair seemed to shimmer in the night. She was donning a Capsule Corp cropped jacket, much like the one he had a month ago. She tilted her head and smiled once she got closer to the table. "I figured you'd be here."

"Oh. Hi!" Goku smiled awkwardly, not sure what to say. "Yeah, I haven't seen a lot of my friends in a really long time."  _All eyes are on me again._

"So, have you thought about what I asked you in the supermarket?"

Goku scratched his head. "What?"

"You know, when I asked if you could train me sometime!"

He blinked.  _Oh, right. Why not? It's not like Vegeta is around anymore._ "Uh, sure!"

Taffy winked. "I should have a way to contact you, shouldn't I? Or maybe I should wait another month to randomly run into you."

Confused, Goku turned around in his seat and looked around the table. As if on cue, Yamcha handed him a napkin and a pen. "Here you go, bro."

Goku glared back at him. "Thank you." He wrote his phone number on the napkin, before hastily handing it to Taffy. "Here you go!"

"Thank  _you_. I'll talk to you soon, okay?" Goku watched the napkin get tucked into a jacket pocket. She smiled again before waltzing off to talk to someone else.

There was silence at the table. Until—

" _Whoooo!_ " Yamcha whooped.

"Looks like you have an admirer, Dad." Gohan put a hand on Goku's shoulder and grinned.

"Huh?" Goku frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, man, that chick is  _hot_. I would totally do her," Yamcha sighed.

"Yamcha," Bulma said, "you would hump the  _table_ if there was a hole in it."

"Ouch!" Krillin said over the laughter that flitted throughout the group. He ran his fingers through his short hair and poked out his lower lip, deep in thought. "But since we're in this predicament, we need to have some  _man talk._ "

"Man talk?" Farther down the table was 18 and Marron, who were munching off a plate of hor'dourves. Eyes narrowed, 18 spoke louder. "What the hell is ' _man talk_ '?"

"Our Goku is going to need some advice for this situation." Master Roshi said. "Thus, the reason for man talk."

"What are you guys talking about? I just gave her my phone number. What's the big deal?" Goku shifted in his seat, feeling as if he wasn't going to enjoy this 'man talk'.

"Oh, Goku." Yamcha  _tsked_. "You are so lost."

"Yeah, buddy. You need an intervention." Krillin nodded.

Goku frowned again. "What's an intervention?" But he was already being pulled away from the table by Master Roshi. Gohan looked over at Videl, helpless, and followed behind his father.

Bulma groaned as she watched all of the men leave the table. "Does testosterone force men to do stupid things?" she asked both Videl and 18.

"I think so," 18 said. She looked over at Marron, who was just confused. "But Krillin isn't nearly as stupid when he's at home. I think being around Goku just  _inspires_ him."

"I'll trust Gohan." Videl tapped her fingers on the table and watched the group wander far off into a group of trees.

 _I'm not going to say anything._ Vegeta sat at a table away from the one Goku was at previously. After the table he was spying on had cleared, he sat another half hour, alone, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from passing employees.

 _I'm not going to say anything at all. I don't care._ Of course he didn't, he wouldn't ever care about something like that.

"Huh...Damn it all." He jumped out of his seat and pushed himself through a group of people to get to Bulma. "Hey. HEY!"

She turned around. A half empty can of beer was in her right hand. "Oh, hey, Vegeta!"

"Who was that tramp Kakarot was talking to earlier?"

Groggy, Bulma stepped away from Vegeta to stare at him. "I don't remember you sitting at the table with us. How did you know who he was talking to?"

"I was watching from far away. But never mind that—who was she?"

Bulma wobbled a bit, and rested her hand on Vegeta's shoulder. "You're a real  _creep-o_ , 'Geta. You know that? I think you have some voyeuristic tendencies you need to work out."

"Whatever!" Vegeta peeled her hand off. "You still haven't told me who the skank was."

"Skank!" Bulma gasped. "Those are strong words for someone you  _don't even know_." She steadied herself and tapped her chin. "Her name is Taffy. She's an employee. Very cute."

"What's Kakarot doing talking to her?"

"I dunno. I think she wants him to train her or something. But I wouldn't be surprised if she's just trying to set him up for a booty call."

" _Booty call?_  What's a booty call?"

"What? Does she bother you or something?" Bulma crossed her arms, angry. "Are you jealous?"

"No!" Vegeta sighed, hoping Bulma was only saying these things because she was drunk. "I was just wondering."

"Yeah, well, you've been wondering a  _lot_ lately, haven't you?" But Vegeta had already walked off toward the group of men to eavesdrop. Nonchalant, he leaned against a tree and listened to the conversation.

"So, anyway," Krillin said with a slur, " _that's_  what I think you should do to make the first move."

 _What the hell?_ He studied the group closer. Krillin, Yamcha, Goku, Gohan, and Master Roshi were sitting in a circle, Goku laid out on the back of a tree trunk. Littered around were dozens of empty cans of beer. The fighters all look bizarre with the lights flashing around them.

And wasted. Not a good sign.

"But Krillin," Goku said slowly, "That sounds  _gross._ "

"It makes perfect sense to me," Yamcha said. In the middle of the circle sat several cases of beer. He pulled out another can and tossed it to Goku. Absentmindedly, Goku opened it, and began to chug.

"Dad, are you sure you should be drinking so much?" Gohan looked a little red in the face himself. He hiccuped softly. Vegeta looked closer around both Gohan and Goku, and saw that they had drank their fair share in the past half hour.

"Don't...tell me what to do," Goku said, wagging a lazy finger at his son. "I'm older than you. I can do what I want. I can stay up as late as I want, too."

"Uh, okay, Dad."

"That's right, Gohan. And there's nothing," Goku said, sweeping his eyes across each and every person in the group, "nothing at  _all_ wrong with doing what you want to do."

"Damn right," Master Roshi said, raising a can in the air in mock-toast.

"But really. I don't know if I..." Goku sounded hesitant. "I don't know if I like women."

Vegeta nearly screeched. He covered his mouth, afraid he would reveal himself. The other men in the group seemed to be equally surprised.

"Goku! Don't say that!" Krillin said a bit too loud. "You've had one too many  _bruskis_ , right?" He laughed wildly, nervous. "Please tell me you've had too much to drink!" He tried to pull himself off the ground. "For the love of Kami, stop drinking!"

"Stop it, Krillin!" Goku yelled back before finishing off the can in his hand. As if trying to show off that he wasn't tipsy at all, he placed it upright and gentle beside his leg. He straightened himself up against the tree to regain his posture. "I'm being dead serious. In fact, I'm pretty sure I don't like women."

"Shut-up, Goku," Yamcha said. "If you don't like women, then does that mean you like guys?"

"What if I do?" he blurted. A collective groan went around the circle.

"My Goku! GAY!" Master Roshi yelled out into the night, gaining a few stares from people dozens of feet away.

"Is it really that bad?" Goku chirped, reeling back a little.  _He's pale_ , Vegeta noticed. "Is it bad, to be gay? Please, tell me guys. Is it bad?"

"It's  _really bad_!" Yamcha growled. He crushed a can between his fists. "Not only is it bad, it's downright AWFUL!"

Goku looked as if he was about to cry. "How can I fix it?!"

"I heard you can't!" Krillin yelled. "You're  _stuck_  that way, Goku!"

"Oh, father," Gohan moaned, covering his face with both hands. He was shaking his head slowly, almost tipping over on his side.

"No. No!" Goku was starting to shed  _real_  tears, and Vegeta was horrified. "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I just miss Chi-Chi." He clenched his eyes shut and began to sob. " _Cheecheee_."

"Dad!" Gohan flung himself over Goku's shoulders and hugged him. "Mom wouldn't want to see you like this. Please stop!" He was blubbering. "Pah-leease stop crying."

"Yeah, Goku!" Krillin got misty-eyed himself. "Don't cry. I hate the way you look when you cry!"

"Gods. I don't know whether to feel more embarrassed for myself, or for all of you." Yamcha fell back onto the ground and moaned. "Master Roshi, how many beers did you bring over here? I feel like I'm about to  _die_."

"Apparently too many. You young people don't know how to hold your liquor at all!" Proud, he opened another can. " _Pah_ -thetic!"

"I want my Chi-Chi back!" Tears were streaming down Goku's face. "When she was around, I wasn't so confused!"

"That's because the bitch had you on a leash!" Yamcha flicked his wrist in the air as if cracking a whip. "Wha-POW!"

"Shut-up, Yamcha!" Gohan yelled. "Dad wasn't whipped, and he isn't gay."

Yamcha winced, and curled himself into a ball. "Do any of you guys have a pillow? I'm fucking _exhausted_. Ugh. And I might puke."

 _This is like a horror movie,_  Vegeta thought. Tired of bullshitting around, he stepped out from his hiding spot. "What the hell is wrong with all of you?!"

Everyone jumped in surprise. Goku began to cry even  _harder._

"Oh, Kakarot." Vegeta went over and pried Gohan off of Goku. "Stop it right this instant. You're shaming the entire Saiyan race!" Vegeta had to draw a line  _somewhere_ , dead race or not.

"Oh, Vegeta!" Goku grasped himself around Vegeta's waist and pulled him to the ground. "You're a real buddy. A real  _paaal_. I've missed you  _so much_." Sighing, he nuzzled his face in Vegeta's chest.

"Shit, Kakarot, you're  _completely_   _wasted_." He pulled himself off of Goku and rolled over on the ground. "Why did you let these idiots do this to you?"

"Hey!" Objected Krillin. "We were just trying to give Goku here some good advice. Like real friends. Right guys?"

Everyone else in the group groaned in response, Vegeta not sure whether in agreement or pain. He looked to his side to see how Goku was doing, only to see that he vanished. "What the—where did Kakarot go?!"

"I don't know," Gohan whispered dramatically, "but I see Piccolo coming over."

 _The Namek must have been watching the show as well!_ Piccolo came up to the group, arms at his sides. He looked pissed.

"What are you all doing over here? Gohan, what have you done to yourself?

"Hey, Pic—"

"You look like a fool," he said, cutting him off. "Get off the ground and make yourself look decent. Your wife is coming over."

"Oh, shit!" Gohan said under his breath. He jumped up off the ground and dusted off his clothes. He tried to smooth down the front of his shirt, and looked up to see Videl only a few feet away. "Hey, honey—"

"Gohan, are you drunk?!" She stormed over to his side, amazingly short to him in comparison, but possessing the greater authority. "Is that beer I smell on your breath? I can't believe this!"

"Videl, it's okay, I was just—"

"I bet you were expecting  _me_ to drive back home tonight."

"I—uh—"

Yamcha began to giggle. "Looks like it passes down in the family. Wha-POW!"

Videl grabbed onto Gohan's ear and pulled. "You are going to pay for this, mister!"

"Ow!"

"Hold it," Vegeta said, "While I do find it amusing that Kakarot's brat is being pushed around by his own wife,  _where is Kakarot himself?_ "

The timing was too perfect. "Hey, everybody!" A booming voice came from a microphone off toward the center of the party.

Videl let loose her grip on Gohan's ear and gasped. She pointed into the crowd. "Look!"

"No way!" Krillin jumped to his feet to look out into the crowd. Everyone was gathered around the stage where the band was seated. At the front of the stage stood two figures.

"Is that—?" Yamcha started.

"It can't be," Vegeta said. It was impossible.  _They wouldn't...They COULDN'T..._

"I dedicate this next song to my best friend in the  _world_ , Vegeta." There was Goku on the stage, brilliant in bright light. He was swaying a bit. Next to him was Bulma, who had a microphone of her own.

"Oh. My Gods." Vegeta ran toward the stage, horrified.

"Yeah. That Vegeta. He's a  _rascal_ , isn't he?" Bulma said with a giggle. Laughter rose from the crowd. "Any who, this is a song by a guy you all may know as David Bowie."

 _Oh no oh no!_ Vegeta pushed people out of his way as he headed toward the stage.  _Fuck fuck FUCK!_

The band roared up, grinning in amusement. Vegeta could only moan as he heard the song start with a mixture of piano and sax. It was like a death march, and he knew that on a certain note, all hell would break loose. He saw Goku swivel his hips to the music, Bulma following in suit.

Goku opened his mouth. "Still don't know what I was waiting for, and my time was runnin' wild, a million dead-end streets, and..." Goku thrust his hand into the air, and then brought it down into a dramatic fist. "Every time I thought I'd got it made, it seemed the taste was _not so sweet._.."

It was dreadful. Goku could not sing. At all. But everyone in the crowd burst out in laughter and started to clap, urging him on.

"You lunatics!" Vegeta yelled, teetering on the possibility of simply blasting everyone away. "Don't encourage them!"

Still singing as if it was his greatest performance, Goku swung his head so that his hair flung around his shoulders wildly. "Ch-ch-ch-ch-CHANGES!"

"Turn and face the strain!" Bulma screeched into her microphone. She danced wildly in a circle on the stage. Her button-up shirt was falling off a shoulder.

"Ch-ch-changes! Don't wanna be a rich- _ah_  man!" Both continued into the chorus, finding some kind of twisted harmony between each other.

Vegeta finally found himself at the front of the stage and shouted, "Cut that out  _right now_!"

Goku only leaned down onto one knee and took Vegeta's hand into his own. "Time may change meee," he crooned. "But  _I can't trace time._ "

Vegeta blinked. "What?"

But Goku was already off, dancing on the stage along with Bulma. "Ch-ch-changes! Oooh, look out, you rock n' roll-ahs!" he yelled. In response, several people out in the audience flashed devil horns with their hands, and started to head bang.

 _Holy Hell, Kakarot. Books could be written about you._ Vegeta felt a headache coming on. He figured that somewhere  _deep_ in the recesses of Goku's mind was this song, and for some reason while drunk, he found it appropriate to express some kind of…fucked up idea to the rest of the world.

 _Or maybe he's just shit-faced out of his mind._  He watched Goku continue to dazzle the audience with his dance moves. At one point he even bent Bulma over and smacked her rear, as if to reinforce the next line he sang. "Pretty soon now, you're gonna get older!"

Vegeta figured that if he were damned to Hell for the rest of eternity, it wouldn't have been worse that what he was watching now. He decided to just... _let it be. Let it be_. He even heard Krillin from behind him shout loud, "Ch-ch-changes!" He must have made his way through the crowd as well.

"Time may change me!" Bulma was swinging her hair around. "But I can't trace time."

"I SAID," Goku shook his head again, hair flipping, "that time may change meee!" He swiveled his leg in a dramatic fashion akin to Elvis. " _But I can't trace tiiime_." Saxophones trailed off on his last line, and cheers covered up whatever ending there was to the song. Several people screamed out, 'Encore!' Goku bowed, grinning from ear to ear.

He hopped off the front of the stage. "Hey, Veggie," he said softly, bringing up a hand to Vegeta's cheek. "Did you like the song?"

Vegeta gripped Goku's hand, and began to pull him through the crowd. "Bulma, you come too!"

"Aww," she moaned. She slid off the stage, almost twisting her right ankle. Several men around her attempted to help her get up off the ground. "I told you we needed karaoke. That was a blast!"

Vegeta growled.  _I'll get the woman later._ He continued to pull Goku toward the main Capsule Corp building, ignoring people shouting all around him.

"You fuckin'  _rock_ , dude!"

"Can you come to my parties?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Back. OFF!" Vegeta roared, shoving his way through a group of women blocking an entrance into the building.

Goku tripped over his own feet trying to keep up. "Vegeta, stop it. That  _hurts_."

"Shut-up, clown." Soon they were in the kitchen. Vegeta pushed Goku into a chair and looked down at him, face pure condescension. "You fucking MORON!" Not even caring, he punched the right side of Goku's face.

"HEY!" Goku jumped out of the chair and pushed Vegeta to the back of the kitchen. He pinned him up against the refrigerator, the appliance sliding across the linoleum. "Don't hit me like I'm some little kid!"

"Then don't  _act_ like one!" Vegeta pushed hard against Goku, but he remained standing strong.

Goku pounded into the area around Vegeta's head, denting the refrigerator door. "Why do you even care what I do?!" He was panting now, enraged.

 _Is this what happens when I leave you alone?_  Vegeta grasped the back of Goku's head and pulled him forward, until both their foreheads touched. He stared deep into the onyx eyes gazing back at him. "Because I'm your  _friend."_

Goku squinted his eyes, tears gathering once more. "I thought you would hate me after what I did to you."

"As much as I wish I could hate you, especially for the display you just made of yourself, I simply  _can't_."

Goku sighed, and rested himself against Vegeta's chest. "I missed you so much."

Vegeta shook a bit, rubbing the back of Goku's head. "Kakarot, I can't..." He pushed Goku's body off his own.

Goku whimpered a bit and frowned. "I..." He threw a hand over his mouth. "I have to throw up."

"Go up the stairs and to the right, and don't you  _dare_ vomit on the carpet!" Goku dashed up the stairs leading out of the kitchen, stumbling. Vegeta rubbed both his temples. "I don't think this is what Bulma had in mind to 'cheer him up'."

* * *

The entire world spun as Goku coughed into the toilet bowl one last time. His knuckles were white from gripping the rim for so long, and he felt like he'd puked out all the guts he had available.  _When was the last time I got drunk like this?_ He flushed the toilet, and rolled over onto his back on the pristine floor. He recognized the bathroom as the one he and Vegeta had cleaned up in after sparring…that day long ago.

"Ugh." Pain throbbed in his stomach and skull. He didn't even remember how much he had to drink. Wanting to go to sleep, he pulled up the shag bathroom rug around his body and let his head rest on the cool floor tiling.

" **GOKU."**

An icy chill went over his body. He stared up at the ceiling. There was Chi-Chi, nothing more than a ghost.

"Chi...chi..." He began to shake.  _No, no, please don't—_

" **YOU'VE DISAPPOINTED ME."** Her mouth was impossibly large and flapping. She was weeping blood, small droplets falling from the ceiling to rest on Goku's nose. Her hair pooled around her head and floated along with the rest of her body.

Goku opened his mouth to scream, wanting help from Vegeta, or anyone else. But her dead eyes stared into his and made him helpless.

"Please, don't…"

But she was floating down from the ceiling, closer to his face, her mouth grossly distorted. She was an inch away from touching him, when he passed out.


	8. Part Eight

_Ow. Ow. Oooow._

Goku heard a light ringing in his ears, paired along with a powerful headache. He felt that he was wrapped up in a bundle of sheets atop a springy mattress. Moving his arms and legs, he noticed a defined stiffness in his limbs. It was cold.

"You're awake."

Goku opened his eyes and saw he was shrouded in darkness. "What?"

"Imbecile. I found you passed out on my bathroom floor. You have no class whatsoever."

He groaned. "What  _happened_  to me, Vegeta?"

"You got drunk."

Goku rolled over onto his side and grasped his stomach. "Oh."

"You sang karaoke."

He laughed, shocked. "Whaat? I don't sing, Vegeta."

"You proved otherwise."

Clenching his teeth to bear the pain throbbing in his skull, Goku pondered.  _Now that I think about it..._ Memories of last night came in rush of images: him crying, then Gohan crying...Vegeta showing up, then him running up on stage...

"Fuck." Goku buried his face in the pillow.

"Fuck is right." Vegeta laughed soft, sounding oddly innocent in the darkness.

"What happened to," Goku cleared his throat, "Bulma? Is she okay?"

"Yes. But she didn't throw up like  _you_ did."

"Ugh. I'm really sorry. I haven't been in a good state lately, have I?" Goku was glad for the darkness.

"No, you haven't." The light in Vegeta's voice faded away. "You've been unconscious for over a day."

"Oh, no." Goku brought his face up off the pillow. "You had to take me all the way back home?"

"No. You're in my bed right now."

Goku blinked. "Oh, wow. I'm sorry—"

"Why do you keep on shivering? You've been doing that on and off for a while now." Goku could hear Vegeta getting up off of what was most likely a chair; the sound of something heavy sliding against carpet roused his senses. Light footsteps fled out of the room. Goku felt himself get sleepy, and wondered if Vegeta would ever come back. He closed his eyes again, seeing no difference in the darkness behind his eyelids and the darkness of the room.

 _Something else happened last night. But what?_ He could barely remember singing, let alone throwing up and falling asleep on a bathroom floor. After what seemed like an eternity, he felt a heavy blanket fall on top of him. "Oof!"

"Does that help any?"

"Hey, where are you, Vegeta? I can't see anything in here." His senses would have been keener on any other day. And he could feel that he  _was_ shivering, uncontrollably. He pulled the blanket closer to his body. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"You're still shaking."

Goku wasn't sure what kind of answer Vegeta wanted. "I can't help it."

Suddenly, Goku felt a fresh wave of air slip under the sheets. The side of the mattress sunk as a weight pressed down opposite of him.  _Huh?_  "Vegeta, what are you—"

"Be quiet."

A rush of heat came to Goku's back, and he yelled out in astonishment.  _No way._ Vegeta was pressing himself against Goku's back, Goku now aware that both of them were shirtless. He felt warm arms wrap against his waist, protectively, before pulling back to tighten the embrace.

"Ve—Ve—" Goku felt his stomach churn. He remembered missing Vegeta for weeks, which only made him more aware of how Goten wasn't around. And then there was the episode on the island...Ever since then, he'd tried to bury any kind of impure feelings of the Price away in his head, never to be thought of again. Vegeta did not love him, and was a tentative friend at best.

_But if that's the case, why is he cuddling with me right now?!_

"Calm down, Kakarot. I can feel your heart racing." In a surprisingly gentle gesture, Vegeta pressed his nose against the back of Goku's neck. "You're cold as ice. Maybe you've come down with something."

"Vegeta—why—?"

Vegeta sighed. "I want to tell you something now. And I can only say it in the darkness, where I don't have to see your face."

 _Unbelievable._ Goku remained silent.

"And when I do tell you this, I don't want you to  _ever_  bring it up in conversation again. Understand?"

"Um, okay." Goku felt it hard to breathe.

He rubbed his hands across Goku's chest,  _lingering_ here and there. His movements were hesitant, as if he didn't want to feel the hard muscle he was pressing against. "I  _missed_  you. A lot."

"You  _did_?" Taking a chance, Goku brought his hands up and pressed them against Vegeta's. The warmth was exhilarating.

"Yes. I almost went insane." Vegeta continued to rub his hands, but laced his fingers with Goku's along with his movement.

 _I can't believe it. He's touching me. Hell, he's_ spooning _me. Maybe I'm still asleep._ "Vegeta, are you sure  _you_  aren't drunk right now?" Feeling idiotic, Goku reeled at his comment.  _I'm going to ruin everything!_

But Vegeta just chuckled. "No. I'm just tired. It's past midnight."

"I've been asleep all day?"

"Yes." Vegeta massaged his hands across Goku's abs. "I've been keeping an eye on you all day, hoping you'd wake up. You're lucky I didn't go with my first plan to beat you into consciousness."

He wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything that didn't come off as stupid. Warmth traveled up his thigh as he felt Vegeta pull a leg over one of his own. He was wearing light cotton pants, Goku still in his orange gi bottoms.

Vegeta froze. "Do you like this, Kakarot?"

"Yeah," he sighed.  _It isn't as cold._

"Do you..." Vegeta shifted on the mattress, pulling himself up so that he was half-straddling Goku's hips. He rested his chin on Goku's shoulder, and whispered, "Do you want something from me?"

 _What?_ Goku opened his eyes wide. Vegeta could be hinting at anything, none of the possibilities putting Goku in a good light. "Um, why do you ask?" His voice cracked, and Vegeta laughed into his neck.

"After what happened three weeks ago, I'm starting to think you like me as more than a friend." Goku felt his heart beat wildly again; Vegeta must have noticed, because he began to massage the left side of his chest. "You're warming up now."

Goku laughed, voice at a high pitch. "Well, um, I guess I can explain the whole kissing thing—"

"You're confused as fuck, aren't you."

"Yeah," Goku sighed. "If you haven't noticed."

"Hmm." Vegeta began to rub the side of his face in Goku's hair. "So you  _do_  like me as more than a friend?"

"I—" Goku felt sick.  _I don't want to ruin our friendship trying to get something I know I can't get._ "I don't know."

"I guess I should be flattered," Vegeta said. "I  _am_  quite irresistible."

Goku nudged his arm against Vegeta's shoulder. "Whatever."

But he didn't play along. "Kakarot, I can't give you that. I don't...see you in that way."

Sickness in his stomach rose. With Vegeta  _touching_  him like that, and at the same time reiterating what Goku already knew to be true, he felt as if he could throw up again. "I'm tired of talking."

Vegeta fell still. "Don't be that way. I'm trying to take care of you, because no one else can."

"I'm sorry, then. I'm just really tired."

"Alright then." He paused, and squeezed Goku tighter against himself, contradicting everything he said. "Remember, this whole conversation—"

"It never happened."

"Good."

Goku fell back to sleep.

* * *

"Hey, Vegeta! Open up! Are you in there?"

Vegeta opened his eyes. The room was still dark, but light from the hallway bled in from under the door. He felt himself wrapped around a large body. He blinked, confused. "Huh?"

"Oh, good, he's in there. I couldn't find him earlier." The door flew open, the light switch was flicked on, and Vegeta was met with the lovely image of Bulma and...Goten.

His eyes widened. "What the hell?" He remembered getting in bed with Goku last night, and saw that he'd fallen asleep before creeping back to the guest room he was crashing in. So here he was, half naked, wrapped around Goku. Who was still asleep.

"Vegeta? What are you...what did you two..." Bulma started to babble. She was in her sleeping robe, hair disheveled. Goten's mouth was hanging open.

"Fuck." Vegeta pulled himself off Goku and slid out of bed. He smacked Goku's bare shoulder. "Wake up, Kakarot!"

"Buh?" Goku groaned, and groped his hand around for Vegeta's missing presence. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and refocused his vision on the two figures standing in the doorway. "Goten?"

As bizarre the situation was, Goten smiled sadly back at Goku. "Hey, Dad."

"Uh, did we interrupt something?!" Bulma yelled.

Goku flung the sheets off his body and stumbled out of the bed. Vegeta saw that he was pale. He ran over to Goten, eyes bulging. He embraced his son, lifting him clear up off the floor, and buried his face in his shoulder. "Goten! GOTEN!"

Goten laughed, and flung his arms around Goku's neck. Vegeta felt the awkward stare of Bulma, and blushed. He ignored her and studied the two Saiyans hugging. Goten looked a bit thin, and was wearing a simple cotton shirt and pair of jeans. The sneakers he wore looked worn. Goku was kissing his forehead now, madly, and Vegeta smiled. Goku looked  _striking_  happy like that, as if he hadn't been so in a long time.

_He hasn't._

"Where have you been? Did you go over Gohan's house?!" Goku grabbed onto Goten's shoulders and pushed him away. He looked his son up and down, and gasped. "Have you been eating?!"

"Dad—"

"You haven't been on the streets, have you?!"

"No. I—"

"Why didn't you call me? Do you know how worried I was?!" Goku grit his teeth. "Do you know how  _pissed_  I am at you right now!?"

Goten frowned. "I can explain everything!"

Goku's fury lifted from his face, and his eyes began to water. "I missed you so much!" He hugged Goten again, crushing him.

Bulma stared at the both of them, joyful. "Oh, Goku."

Everyone in the room stared at Goten. He rubbed his stomach. "Sorry, guys. I'm haven't eaten in a while."

 _Oh, no. Now I have to deal with two Kakarots._  Vegeta smirked.

"Everyone should come downstairs," Bulma said. She gave Vegeta a side glance, eyebrow raised suspiciously. "We have a lot to talk about."

Goku and Goten raced out of the room at the same time, creating enough racket to make Vegeta think there was an animal stampede going down the stairs. He stood up off the bed and stretched. "How did the boy end up over here?"

"He just showed up on the doorstep. Earlier he said he stopped by Goku's house and saw that no one was there. He called Gohan, who told him to come by here." Bulma and Vegeta walked out of the room, Vegeta avoiding her eyes. "So what  _were_ you doing in bed with Goku? You didn't...you know..."

"Oh, shut-up," He yawned. "I was just  _comforting_  him. Let's leave it at that."

"Ooh, and I bet you gave him  _some_  kind of comfort last night." Bulma walked ahead of Vegeta down the stairs, giggling. He felt like hitting some really, really hard.

The smell of pancakes awoke Vegeta's senses as he found himself in the kitchen. Bulma had prepared a huge breakfast laid out on the table, and both Goku and Goten were already digging in. Two foot-high stacks of pancakes sat in front of Goku, who was busying himself trying to open a packet of butter. Goten hadn't bothered with putting on any fixings, and was shoving dry pancakes into his mouth. On occasion he would gulp down a mouthful of milk. Repeatedly he refilled his cup from the milk jug, which was becoming empty fast.

"You two are awful," Bulma said, taking a seat at the table. She took a few strips of bacon sitting in a bowl, and munched on them silently. "But I'm happy that you're here, Goten!"

Vegeta sat down in the seat beside Goku, still grouchy. Despite himself, he loaded up a plate with a ridiculous amount of food as well. At least he would remember to chew. "Yes. Bulma hasn't cooked this much in a while."

"Hey, where's Trunks?" Goten asked, finishing off his plate of pancakes. He stole a few off of Goku's plate, fork suspended in the air.

Bulma gazed up at the ceiling. "Trunks has been traveling a lot. He tells us he's off studying business management in different countries—" Vegeta scoffed at the mention of this. Bulma glared. "But I'm pretty sure he's just screwing around this summer."

"Oh, wow." Goten blinked. "He is going to take over Capsule Corp, isn't he?"

"Yeah! That's my Trunks," Bulma sighed. "He left around the same time you did, now that I think about it."

Goku perked up in his seat. "Goten, what all has happened while you've been gone?" His mouth was full.

"I guess I should get to that, huh?" He scratched the back of his head.

 _He is a spitting image of his father,_  Vegeta thought, stuffing his face with bacon. "Yes, you should get to that. Because of you, I've had to take care of Kakarot all by myself." Goku shot Vegeta an odd look, as if surprised. Vegeta ignored it.

"Well..." Goten set down his fork. His eyes were downcast in shame. "I'm guessing Trunks or Dad told you about  _why_  I left."

"You knocked up some girl."

"Vegeta!" Bulma hissed across the table.

"Yeah," Goten said. "Well, I wanted to help her out as much as I could. I loved her very much." He had difficulty talking now. "We left about four months ago, two months after she told me she was pregnant. Turns out..."

"What?" Goku asked, sitting on the edge of his seat.

"She wasn't really pregnant."

Goku fell out of his chair. "WHAT!"

"Oh, Goten." Bulma face-palmed herself. "I can't  _believe_  you."

Vegeta pointed his fork across the table at Goten. "You," he said, "are a moron."

"GOTEN!" Goku screamed, pulling himself up off the floor. "What do you mean she wasn't pregnant?! How did you not know?!"

"I just believed what she said, Dad!" Goten was rocking in his seat. "A few days passed after we...you know...And she told me she was pregnant. I didn't have a reason to  _not_  believe her!"

Bulma brought her hands up to her face. "Goten, there is no way she would have known she was pregnant that soon!"

"Shit," Vegeta said, "even Kakarot isn't  _that_ stupid."

"I know!" Goten covered his face in shame. "But I loved her so much. I didn't think she would lie to me like that."

"Teenagers are the scum of this planet." Vegeta piled more pancakes onto his plate. "You have sex and magically think you're in  _love_."

"Vegeta, quit it," Bulma said.

Goku calmed down a bit. "Goten...You just found this out, I'm guessing? Gohan called me a few days ago and said you were coming back."

"Yeah. After six months of being with her, I kind of caught on."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Oh, really."

Goten began to play around in his food. "I confronted her. She told me the truth. I got really upset, so I just came back here as fast as I could."

"Gohan told me that you didn't want to talk to me just yet. Why?" Goku had stopped eating entirely.

"I thought you would be really mad at me."

Goku frowned. "Now matter what, I wouldn't ever want you to think you couldn't come home."

"It wasn't easy."

"Oh. Did she love you back?" Goku asked. Vegeta cringed, feeling uncomfortable with the word  _love_ being thrown around so many times in one morning.

"I think so." Goten looked up at Goku, hopeless.

"So she's all alone now?" Bulma asked. She picked up another piece of bacon and chewed on it mindlessly.

"Yeah."

"That wasn't a smart thing to do," she said. "To just run away without giving her a heads up."

"The boy doesn't exactly have an amazing record of being intelligent, now does he?" Vegeta said under his breath.

"He should at least go back to her and make amends." Bulma nodded at Goten. "You  _are_ going back, aren't you?"

"I'm just really tired." Goten ran a hand through his hair, which was wild. "And confused. I don't know what I'm going to do."

"This is all really weird." Bulma continued to gnaw at her bacon. "I don't even know the name of this girl, or what she looks like, or  _anything_."

"That's okay," Goku said quickly, perhaps pushing the possibility out of his head that Goten may leave again. "I'm just happy he's back."

"You know, I should call Trunks and tell him you're here." Bulma got up from the table and fished her cell phone out of her pocket.  _Does she carry that thing with her everywhere she goes?_ Vegeta thought.

"Yeah," Goten said softly. "I missed you all a lot. And I'm sorry for just disappearing." He looked down. "If Mom were here, I would be dead right now."

Goku opened his mouth, but Bulma interrupted him. "Trunks said he's coming over."

Vegeta dropped his fork. "He's coming over  _now_?" It had been a while since he last talked to his son. Communication between them was always brief, but he didn't recoil at the opportunity of seeing him again. Thinking back on the past month, it was odd how much had changed. If his son knew he cuddled with Kakarot like he was a lover, Trunks would probably die.

"He didn't say when. He just said he would be over as soon as possible." She glanced over at Goten and grinned. "He misses his best friend."

"I haven't talked to Trunks in a long time," he said, his voice dropping.

"Ooh, HEY!" Bulma yelled. Everyone else in the room jumped. "I just got a  _brilliant_  idea!"

"Oh, no," Vegeta said, genuinely scared. "If it's another party—"

"You all should go out to dinner with Trunks when he gets here!" She closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes. That is a perfect plan. Marisa's is just a few miles away, and they have good food."

 _I hope nothing awful happens like her other wonderful idea._ Vegeta shrugged. "Whatever, woman."

Goku jumped up from the table. "I'm tired of just sitting here!"

"You've done more than just  _sit_. You've eaten almost everything on the table," Vegeta pointed out.

Goku ignored him, and stretched his arms high into the air. "Goten, you and me need to train. Now."

"But Dad, do you think I could—"

"No. Now!" Goku walked around the table and grabbed Goten's wrist. "I've waited for so long!" He pulled Goten up from the table and dragged him across the floor.

"Goku—where are you two going?"

"Out back!" Goku yelled. He was overly exciting and jumpy. Goten gave both Bulma and Vegeta a look of resignation before allowing himself to be taken from the room.

"Goku is so cute," Bulma sighed. She plopped back down in her seat at the table. "With Goten back, he seems a lot happier, don't you think?"

"Yes." Vegeta found that he wasn't hungry anymore. He pushed his plate away. "I'm happy for him."

"So. As I was trying to find out earlier..."  _Oh, no. Here we go._ "Why were you in bed with him again?"

"Like I said. Comforting him."

"Maybe Goten being back isn't the only reason he's so chipper this morning."

Vegeta tapped his fingers on the table. "I did what you wanted me to do. He knows I don't hate him. He's fine."

"That's...good! I guess." Bulma leaned back in her chair. "You have changed a lot, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think I don't notice the way you look at him all of the time?"

Vegeta coughed. "What are you talking about? I don't look at Kakarot in any kind of 'way'."

"Yes you do!" She leaned forward on the table, resting her chin in both her palms. "You look at him  _all of the time._  Up and down his body. It's interesting to watch, to say the least. You didn't used to do that."

 _She's lying._ But Vegeta did study Goku a lot. The younger Saiyan exhibited a range of emotions all of the time, but Vegeta probably only noticed that from sparring so often. Goku gave away almost everything he thought with the way he talked and moved. So it was only natural for him to want to study Goku's physique often...

"Is he all that you think about?"

"No!"

"I bet you're thinking about him right now!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You have the hots for Goku!"

"I don't!" Vegeta yelled.

"I can't believe it!" Bulma voice was booming. "I mean, I knew about Goku's secret. But you—"

"What do you mean, you knew his secret?" Vegeta's heart was racing, and the room felt as if it were shrinking.

"Come  _on_ , Vegeta, why do you think I've been pushing you onto Goku so much lately?" She picked up another piece of bacon, but only broke it into smaller pieces on her plate. "It's obvious that he  _loves_ you to  _death_. And he's felt that way forever."

"Forever?!"

"Duh. Way before Chi-Chi even died. I'm pretty sure she figured it out too."

"I can't believe this!" Vegeta gaped at Bulma, who looked pleased. "So when I came back and told you how he kissed me, and you acted all surprised—"

"Oh, no, I was surprised. I mean, I knew he adored you, but I didn't think he would actually make a move." She smiled. "Like I said a while back…you must have really swept him off his feet. When I wanted you two to spend more time together, I knew he would cheer up with you around." A pause. "But I didn't think you would do such a good job."

"What do you mean?"

"He's head over heels now, and knows it."

Vegeta slumped back in his chair. "Gods."

"Now, back to  _you_. I thought after knowing you for so long I could read you. But it's also obvious that he seduced you while you were over his house. You haven't been the same since."

"I was not seduced! And I haven't changed!"

" _Something_ happened to make you want to sleep in the same bed as him. You didn't even want to be over his house a month ago."

Vegeta growled, ready to reply with anything that would redeem himself. But Goku burst back into the kitchen, yelling, "Vegeta!"

"Huh?"

"Come on!" Goku grabbed onto Vegeta's wrist and lifted him out of the chair. Vegeta almost fell onto the floor as Goku pulled him out of the kitchen. "I need you to fight with us too!"

Vegeta looked over his shoulder at Bulma, defeated. She waved back him, trying to hold back a laugh. "Bye-bye, Vegeta." She disappeared from view when they rounded a corner.

"Kakarot, what's gotten into you?" Vegeta was still being dragged to the back of the Capsule Corp building.

"I'm just so  _happy_  right now. I can't explain it!" Soon they were in the lot the party was held in the night before last. Goku let go of Vegeta's wrist, and flew up into the air to meet a floating Goten.

He fell back onto the grass, gasping. "Kakarot, you are a lunatic!" He knew Goku couldn't hear him. He was lost in a barrage of kicks and punches made against Goten. Impressed, Vegeta fell back onto the grass and watched them go at it. It was almost cruel how Goku was forcing his son to fight after it looked like the boy needed a good night's rest, but Goten was holding his own against his father.

Goku looked splendid in the sky, wearing nothing but the bottom of his orange gi, sweating. Vegeta thought on how Bulma said he looked at him all of the time.  _How can I not watch him all of the time. He's gorgeous._

He felt pain in his stomach at the thought.  _Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Kakarot is gorgeous._  He closed his eyes and tried to wish the thought away.  _When I look at him again..._

He opened his eyes and focused then on the lighting-fast warriors above him. It was shockingly bright out. When Goku flew back away from his son, trying to catch his breath, Vegeta noticed how defined his features were. Goku's brows were furrowed, as if he was in deep thought about what move to make next. He was handsome, to say the least, smirk set deep into his face. It masked the fact that he was a genius when it came to fighting, and rarely had anything to worry about. Goku smirked because he knew he would never accept defeat. Despite never having the chance to enjoy his own culture, Goku was Saiyan to the core when it came to  _this_.

When he looked like that in battle, he was indestructible. A flawless machine.  _A gorgeous machine_.

_And machines can't go to waste._

"Vegeta!" Goku screamed from above. "What are you doing down there?!"

Vegeta stood up, feeling flighty.  _Kakarot is gorgeous..._ He flew up into the air and stopped beside Goku. "I was watching you and your son. I'm waiting for him to beat you to a pulp."

"I haven't fought in a long time, guys," Goten said, laughing a bit too hard. "I'm not in shape."

"We'll fix that!" Goku crossed his arms. "You versus me and Vegeta."

"What?! I can't do that!"

"That  _is_  a bit cruel, Kakarot," Vegeta said with a hint of surprise.

"What? What was that?" Goku cupped his ear and leaned toward Vegeta. "I thought I just heard you chicken out on a fight, but I'm sure I just misheard."

"Shut-up." He shoved Goku.

Goku shoved back. "No!"

"You're being really  _cheeky_  today." Vegeta pushed again, harder. The two got into a shoving match, Goten stuck watching in confusion.

"I don't think you want to mess with me, Vegeta." The two had their fingers locked, and were pushing against each other at a single point, energy equal.

"I'll mess with you as much as I want."

"I'm warning you." Goku stared deep into Vegeta's eyes.

Vegeta stopped suddenly. Goku barreled into him, confused. "Do all of you feel that energy?"

Goten turned around. "Wha—"

" _You son of a bitch_!" The voice was screeching; a purple blur flew straight into Goten. Both bodies crashed into the ground, dirt spraying everywhere. Vegeta knew Bulma would have a fit, but continued to watch as the dust settled.

"Trunks!" yelled Goten from the new crater dug out of the ground. Trunks was clad in a pair of blue-jean shorts and a leather jacket decked out with dozens of colorful buttons and zippers. His hair was scruffy and down to his shoulders. A light bag was slung over his back.

"You asshole!" He punched Goten in the face. "You  _dick_!"

Goku frowned and dropped down to the ground. "Hey! What are you doing!"

Vegeta smirked.  _Kakarot will have to get used to how a Briefs shows affection._

As Goku ran over to Goten, concerned, it became obvious how much Goten was smiling. Trunks continued to hit and curse at him. Goten grasped onto Trunks shoulders, shaking him, laughing wildly.

"Do you know how far I had to fly to get here?!" Trunks grasped Goten as well at the shoulders. "I could be with this really hot girl right now, but I LEFT because of YOU."

"I missed you too, Trunks."

Trunks threw his arms around Goten and crushed him against his chest. "I hate your  _guts_."

"Right back at you."

Vegeta drifted back down to the ground beside Goku. Goku scratched his head. "Um, I guess I shouldn't be shocked at what I'm looking at?"

"No. You shouldn't."

Trunks continued to yell. He pulled his hands up and held Goten's face in between his hands. "I should kill you right now!"

"I think Dad and Vegeta were about to do that before you stepped in!" Goten kept on laughing.

"Shut-up! What's so funny?" He pulled his arm around Goten again and pressed his face into his shoulder. "Don't ever leave again."

Feeling uncomfortable, Vegeta looked away. It never occurred to him that maybe...He turned his head, and was surprised to see Goku staring back at him.  _Is Kakarot thinking the same about our sons?_  He looked Goku up and down, head to toe. Inspecting.

Goku blushed and looked back at the wrestling boys on the ground. "Bulma said we should all go out to eat!"

"Sounds good to me," Trunks said, getting up off the ground. "I need to hear the story behind  _this_  guy over here anyway." He looked down at Goten, who was sprawled out on the ground. "You nut. I can't believe you just  _left_  us. Let  _me!_ " He pulled Goten up off the ground and threw an arm across his shoulders. "You look awful."

"I know." Goten ran his hand through his hair, Vegeta seeing it now as a bad habit.

"Come inside and get changed." Trunks looked over his opposite shoulder at Goku and Vegeta. "They won't take care of you. I will." The two walked into Capsule Corp, Trunks chatting away a mile a minute.

"Wow," Goku said softly. "Trunks didn't even say  _hi_ to you."

"That's to be expected."

Goku held a hand up over his eyes and looked into the sky. "Things feel..."

"Better?" Vegeta offered.

"Yeah!" He beamed back at Vegeta. "I know this will sound weird, but I'm kind of scared to be this happy."

"Why is that?"

"I'm afraid it'll go away easily. Like, it'll be ripped away from me when I least expect it."

"Kakarot." Vegeta stepped closer to Goku, and rested a palm on his shoulder. "I told you last night I would try to take care of you. I will."

Goku looked down and found the grass beneath his feet extremely interesting. "I almost forgot about last night."

 _I can try to sustain that happiness._  He was touching Goku now, shoulder to shoulder. "I can take care of you in more ways than one."

Goku gulped. "Huh?"

 _Can he catch on?_ Vegeta was running off with the notion now, the idea that seemed disgusting and impossible only few weeks ago. But now that Bulma made it obvious Goku wanted him for so long, the least he could do was give Goku  _that. And maybe it wouldn't be so bad._ He looked Goku up and down again."I  _said_ I can take care of you in  _more_  ways than  _one_."

Goku shook his head. "I don't understand."

 _Fuck!_ He could feel himself sweat, the idea becoming more of a reality. It wouldn't be bad at all. Goku, submissive, bent over,  _panting_ — "Gods, Kakarot, I am saying that I'm want to—"

"Hey, Dad!" Trunks yelled from across the lawn. He was peeping out from the exit door in the back of the building. "What's taking so long?"

Goku ran away from Vegeta, almost a bit too happily. "We're coming!"

Vegeta growled, and watched Goku sprint across the grass lot.  _He's not getting away that easily._


	9. Part Nine

The next few hours were a blur. Goku remembered Bulma washing his clothes while he showered, and doing the same for what little luggage Goten brought with him. But Trunks insisted that Goten wear some of  _his_ clothes before they went out to eat. Bulma also gave Goku the classiest looking Capsule Corp jeans and shirt she could find, and told him it was a shame he couldn't fit any of Vegeta's clothes. After putting on his new gear, Bulma handed him a new Capsule Corp jacket, bringing back memories of how it was destroyed a month back.

And Vegeta...

Goku couldn't stand to be around him. Not that he was angry at the Prince, but everything that happened since last night threw him for a loop. Vegeta cuddling with him, and Goten coming back were all events he didn't expect would happen in  _one day_. He was excited and confused at the same time.

And Vegeta was being so  _weird_. After their little talk last night, he was being… _nice?_  No, something else entirely. Something Goku couldn't put his finger on.

He sat on the edge of Vegeta's bed, putting on a pair of shoes he found in the closet,  _delighted_  with the fact that they fit. Vegeta walked into the room, and Goku saw that he was fully dressed. He wore a pair of jeans and a thin green jacket.

"Hey, Vegeta!" Goku waved, and held a foot into the air. "Look, we wear the same size shoes!"

Vegeta just  _stood_  there. A moment passed. Slowly, he pushed the door closed. He leaned against it and smirked. "Hello, Kakarot." He stuffed his hands into his pant pockets.

Goku gulped. "Um, why did you close the door?"

"For privacy."

Goku blinked. "We need privacy?"

"Yes."

Goku felt incredibly nervous. Like something bad was going to happen. But it couldn't with only him and Vegeta in the room. "What are we going to do that needs privacy?"

"Anything and  _everything._ "

 _Okay, now I'm really confused._ "What do you mean by that, Vegeta?" But Vegeta was walking toward him now, Goku trapped between the bed and the door.

"HEY, DAD!" Goten was yelling from somewhere down the hallway. "Are you ready to go?!"

"Fuckin' bullshit!" Vegeta cursed under his breath. He turned around on his heel, and flung the door open. "We are  _not_ ready yet!"

Goten and Trunks bounced through the doorway. "Hey, I'm ready to eat," Trunks said softly, noticing how pissed his father looked. Goten looked equally as worried. Goku noticed his son had cleaned up well: Trunks' clothes looked natural on him.

"Oh! I'm ready to go!" Goku got up off the bed, chipper. "You ready, Vegeta?

"Fuck. Whatever!" He crossed his arms and began to pout.

 _What's his problem?_ Goku walked out of the room and followed the teenagers down the stairs, right out of Capsule Corp. Once they were at the front entrance, Trunks came to a halt.

"How about we go there with a bit of class?" Trunks smiled and headed off to the side of the building. "I've still got keys to the company car."

 _Augh. Cars._ All of them piled into the small vehicle. Goten sat in the front passenger seat, leaving both Goku and Vegeta in the back. Goku felt cramped in his seat, and noticed that Vegeta also looked uncomfortable. Vehicles were one of the many things Goku couldn't figure out. He ran a hand across the upholstery, admiring its leathery texture.

"Dad, were you the last to drive this?" Trunks asked, turning on the ignition. Vegeta make a strange yelp, as if suddenly remembering something. Goku watched Trunks meddle with the CD player, and Vegeta reached his hand forward as if to stop him.

The engine sprung to life, and the car was filled with the sound of heavy rap, loud enough to make all of the windows shake due to heavy bass. Goku burst out laughing. "I forgot you liked this stuff, Vegeta!"

"Dad, is this my CD?!" Trunks screamed over the music. Goten turned around in his seat and stared at Goku, horror-struck.

"Turn it off!" Vegeta yelled. He was red in the face.

"This," Trunks yelled back, pointing his finger at the CD player interface, "is some good shit!"

"TURN IT OFF!" Vegeta roared.

Laughing, Trunks turned off the CD and grinned back at his father. "Dad, if I had known all this time you liked—"

"I swear on my life," Vegeta said, pointing his finger at everyone in the car, "if I hear word about this beyond this second in time, I will kill  _each and every one of you._ "

Trunks gulped. "Yes, Father." He pulled out of the driveway. Everyone in the car remained silent. Goku rubbed his cramped knees, avoiding any eye contact with Vegeta.  _This outing is going to be interesting._

Moving at a pace that seemed painfully slow, they rode through the streets until Trunks pulled into the restaurant parking lot. After stepping out of the car, Goku stretched, glad to be out of the confined space. When Trunks got out of the driver's seat, he popped up the collar of his jacket and smoothed down the front of his shirt beneath it.

Vegeta walked up to him and popped his collar back down. "Don't you do that ever again. It makes you look like an asshole."

"Hey, do you guys mind if I talk with Dad for a minute?" Goten asked. Trunks nodded and headed inside of the restaurant with Vegeta.

"What is it, Goten?" Goku placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Dad, I want to apologize for not coming home." He pulled Goku into a hug.

"You already did, son." Goku buried his face in Goten's hair. "But you're coming home now."

"Dad..."

Goku pushed him away and looked into his face. " _Aren't_  you coming home?"

"I don't think I can. Not now."

"Why not?"

"Come on Dad, don't give me the puppy-dog eyes."

 _Damn!_ "Sorry."

"I've been thinking about it some more, and I decided I should go back." His eyes began to dart. "Like Bulma said I should."

Solemn, Goku rubbed his hand through Goten's hair. "And  _then_ you'll come back?"

"I think so," he said softly. "But like I said before, I loved her a lot. I mean, I still do… "

 _He sounds so uncertain. "_ Oh, Goten. You've changed since you left."

"You have too, Dad." Goten tilted his head. "You seem different somehow."

 _If he only knew all that's happened! I wonder if Gohan told him about the party?_ "I hope I've changed for the better!" He rubbed Goten's cheek. Goten cringed, annoyed at looking like a small child. "Goten, you know how I wasn't there for you when you were growing up?"

"What are you talking about? You  _were_  there—"

"No. I was gone for seven years. I thought it was a good idea, you know." Goku gazed off at the entrance of the restaurant. He noticed a family walk in with a small child. "But I missed out on you growing up. I...I've regretted doing that for a very long time. Longer than you'll ever know."

"Dad, don't."

"No. Listen. I want you to know that I'm never going to leave like that ever again." He leaned down and stared Goten in the face. "Not if I get the greatest training opportunity in the universe, and not even if I die. I'll come right back for you."  _It's taken me so long to say that and mean it._

Goten buried his face in Goku's jacket. Goku held him for a long time, ignoring the stares from people driving up into the parking lot.

"There's…another reason I'm not ready to come back home." Goten's voice was muffled in his father's chest. He pulled away, and Goku saw that his face was wet. "But it's a bit silly."

"Nothing you say will be silly to me."

"It's kind of creepy there," he said, wiping his face off. His eyes started to dart again, as if he were afraid someone was listening in on the conversation. "I used to  _see_  things."

"Er, what? Creepy?" Goku remembered being in the bathroom, rolling over, and… _and what?_  "What do you mean, Goten? What did you see?"

"Kakarot!" Vegeta stepped out of the restaurant entrance and yelled at Goku and Goten. Several people gave him scathing looks. "What's taking so long?"

He squeezed Goten's hand in assurance. "Don't worry! I'll try to take care of everything. We can talk about it later, okay?"

"Right. Yeah."

They walked through the front doors. Trunks was negotiating with a server to get a good booth seat. Surprised by the new thought, Goku noticed how much confidence Trunks had in doing everything. Even the way he acted toward Vegeta showed how much he changed from when he was a young boy deathly afraid of his father's anger.

"Yes. There are only four of us." Trunks glanced over his shoulder, and gave a thumbs-up for his success. They all walked past the waiting area, Goku aware of the usual stares he got when he went out into public. But this time, women of all ages were staring at  _all_  of them. A girl who looked maybe ten or eleven had sparkles in her eyes as she watched Trunks and Goten stride across the room.

"I got us a window seat," Trunks said. The restaurant was dimly lit except for the windows lining the east wall; even then, most of the light in the room was muted by the heavy drapes over each pane.  _I hope we don't bring too much attention to ourselves._  Goku let Goten slide into the booth before sitting down beside him. Trunks sat across from Goten, and Vegeta across from Goku.

"Welcome to Marisa's!" A waitress came to their table, smiling. She was brunette, and had her hair slicked back into a bun. She withdrew a notepad from her apron. "What can I get for you all to drink?"

"Give us the strongest stuff in the house!" Trunks bashed his fist into the table to emphasize his point.

"Shut-up, boy," Vegeta said. "You're not even eighteen yet. You graduate high school, and now you think you run a bunch of shit."

Trunks blushed. "I'll have a Sprite."

"Me too," Goten said, giggling.

"Water," Goku said, avoiding the piercing look the waitress was giving him. He busied himself with the menu on the table.

"I want three glasses of Pinot Noir," Vegeta said.

The waitress stuttered. "All—all at one time, sir?"

"Yes."

"Do you want water with that?"

"No."

"Um, alright." She wrote on her notepad and stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth. "Two Sprites...a water...and  _three_  glasses of our red wine. Right. I'll be right back!" She walked off.

"Dad, if you were going to get three glasses, why didn't you just order a whole bottle?"

"I have no intention of getting drunk." He glanced over at Goku.

 _Oh, man._ Goku hid his face behind the menu in his hand.

"Oh, Dad," Goten looked up from his own menu. "I meant to ask you this earlier. Why were you in bed with Vegeta?"

"What!" Both Goku and Vegeta yelled at the same time.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Trunks asked.

"When I came over this morning and went upstairs, they were in bed together."

 _Ohmigosh._ Goku sunk in the seat. He didn't think this would become dinner conversation.

Vegeta rubbed his forehead. "You talk too much."

"But—"

The waitress came back over with the drinks on a platter. Placing them in front of each appropriate person, she grinned, proud of herself. "Are you all ready to order, or do you still need some time?"

"You know, the entire menu looks really good," Goku said quickly, hoping to bring the conversation away from the topic of sleeping with Vegeta.

"Yeah." Goten tapped the menu. "Can we just have one of everything?"

The waitress blinked. "One...of...everything?"

"Yes," Vegeta said. "That sounds like a good idea."

"But...but that would cost over a thousand dollars."

"That is a non-issue." Vegeta closed his menu. "Just take the order and get it done."

"Ri—right." She wandered off in a daze.

Trunks opened his mouth, and saw Vegeta give him a warning look. "Uh, why don't you tell me all about what's been going on, Goten?"

Goku exhaled in relief. Goten gave Trunks details about his life ever since he left, including how he rented out a dingy apartment with his girlfriend. Goku listened, mostly glad to have the attention brought away from himself. He became more comfortable in the setting—until something brushed up against his leg.

"Ah!" He jumped. Looking across the table, he saw Vegeta with a huge smirk on his face. The weird sensation came to him again, and Goku realized Vegeta was trying to play footsie with him under the table.

"Dad, why are you blushing?" Goten asked, interrupting Trunks mid-sentence.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" He pulled the menu in front of his face again.

"Why are you looking at the menu, Kakarot?" Vegeta said teasingly. "We already made our order."

 _What is he trying to pull?!_ Gulping, Goku dropped the menu and focused on calming down. But he felt Vegeta rub further up the length of his leg. Helpless, he squirmed in his seat.

"Kakarot."

Goku's mouth went dry. "Huh?"

"You look like you could get some fresh air." Vegeta got up from the table and pulled at Goku's wrist. "Come with me."

"Oh. Okay!" His voice cracked, and both Trunks and Goten eyed him oddly. Goku let himself be pulled to a door in the back of the restaurant. It led out onto a veranda where several empty tables were set. Vegeta leaned against the outer brick wall of the building, away from the view of anyone who may be looking out the door. Goku stood to the left of him, and leaned as well.

"Vegeta, why were you—"

" _Hush_." Vegeta stared off past the veranda into a large flower bed that sat a few feet below the metal railing enclosing the area.

The same feeling Goku had earlier—when in the room with Vegeta—came back at full force.  _Why is he being so weird?_

The wind whipped at Vegeta's hair. Remaining silent, Goku stared up at the floating clouds in hopes Vegeta would talk soon.

"I…" Vegeta placed both hands on his hips and shook his head, as if thinking over what to say next. Finally he turned his head and gave Goku the most innocent look he could muster. With all the honesty in the world, he said, "I want to apologize. For two things."

"What?" Goku froze.  _Vegeta apologizing?_ Vegeta moved from his position on the wall, and took a solid stance in front of Goku. Nervous, Goku stepped back, only to run into brick wall. "Apologize for what?"

Vegeta stepped closer, both their chests now touching. "I am sorry I ever slapped you." He grabbed both sides of Goku's face and kissed him.

Goku banged his head against the wall due to the force of Vegeta's mouth. His mind reeled.  _Wha…_  He wrapped his arms around Vegeta's waist and pulled him close. The same Vegeta that wanted him dead long ago was kissing  _him_.  _Willingly._ Feeling dizzy on his feet, Goku rested his weight against the wall, and basked in the feeling of Vegeta pushing his tongue deeper into his mouth.

Abrupt, he pulled away from Goku's face to breathe. He rubbed his right thumb across Goku's cheek, tender. "Gods, I love kissing you." He pressed his lips harder against Goku, and let his fingers roam from shoulders to neck. He worked his way up to Goku's hair, and ran lines through his scalp. Clinging to Goku as if he were a lifeline, he began to grind his hips hard.

 _Oh, my Gods..._ Goku moaned out loud and grabbed onto the back of Vegeta's jacket, feeling as if he'd collapse if he didn't hang on. Vegeta had him crushed against the wall with how hard he was rocking against him. He felt his right leg be pulled up and used as leverage, Vegeta pressing harder into his pelvic bone. Automatic, Goku wrapped his dangling thigh around Vegeta's waist, and rubbed his groin against Vegeta in return, working himself into frenzy.

Vegeta attacked his neck with kisses, pushing down his shirt collar to suck on sensitive skin. Goku bucked against him. "Vegetaa..."

He brought his head up again, and Goku noticed his mouth was wet. "The other thing I want to apologize for," Vegeta breathed through heavy pants, "is how you will feel tonight."

"What?" Goku moaned in a blissful daze. Rhythmic, they continued to thrust against each other.

"I'm going to fuck you, Kakarot. I'm going to do it so hard, you won't be walking right for days."

Goku clenched his eyes shut, and swore he could feel all of the blood rushing out of his head. Feeling Vegeta's length straining against the fabric of his jeans, he finally got a notion of  _how_  Vegeta's plans could be possible. It dawned in his mind like a grand revelation, and he was terrified and ecstatic at the same time. He felt a warm hand slip beneath the waist of his pants; Vegeta grabbed him and began to stroke furiously, muffling his yells with hard kisses on to the mouth.

"Vegeta, I'm going to...ah..." Goku arched his back off the wall, trying to regain any sense of sanity in his mind.

" _AHEM._ "

Vegeta pulled away from Goku and turned his head to the side. After the clouds in the air stopped spinning in his mind, Goku gazed in the same direction. Standing a few feet away was a waiter, a man maybe in his late forties. He looked horrified.

"Uh," Goku said weakly. He looked down at himself and saw that Vegeta's hand was still in his pants. "Hi?"

"Sirs," he said, emphasizing the plural, "I cannot have you on the premises committing despicable acts such as  _this_."

"Then don't watch," Vegeta said.

Goku began to whine. "We should… _wait_ , Vegeta." As much as he hated saying it, he really didn't want to make a huge scene, especially with both their sons there. Growling, Vegeta pulled his hand out from Goku's pants, and freed his other hand of Goku's raised leg.

"Thank you." The man walked back through the exit door, holding it open. Goku followed Vegeta back to their original seats.

* * *

_Fuck. Fucking HELL. The universe doesn't want me to have sex today, does it?_

Goten looked bewildered. "Where did you guys exactly go?!"

"Huh?" Goku asked.  _Look at him. He looks ravished. If I had my way—_

"You both look like you ran around the block a few times."

"Shut-up," Vegeta said. He drank down a glass of his wine in one gulp. He leaned back in the booth seat, ignoring the stare Trunks was giving him.

"Hey, guys." The waitress from earlier arrived. Her bun had fallen down. "I have everything ready!" Dozens of plates were piled onto the table. After putting as many dishes in front of the Saiyans that could fit, the rest were left on a several small folding tables that had been propped up by another waiter.

"Oh, this looks heavenly," Trunks said, digging into a plate of lobster and shrimp. Vegeta watched Goku shovel food into his mouth endlessly, eyes downcast.

 _Dammit. We need to get out of here._ Vegeta drank the rest of wine, and tried to look nondescript while eating a few bowls of soup.

"Oh, I'm really full!" Goku said loudly, dropping his fork. Panicked, he pushed his plate away. "Anyway, I have something really important to do, uh, back at Capsule Corp?" He looked at Vegeta for approval.

 _Way to be subtle._ Nevertheless, Vegeta nodded.

"What?" Trunks raised a brow, catching on more than Goten.

Vegeta smirked and stood up from the table. "I have to run off as well." He dug his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out a card. "Trunks, charge all of the food on this. And if you can, take Goten out tonight. Do whatever you want, and come back as  _late_  as you want."

"But—Dad?" Goten looked to his left, and saw that Goku was ready to jump out of the seat.

"Come by later, okay?" He rubbed the top of Goten's head, quickly. "I don't want you leaving just yet. Maybe you can come home for a few nights?"

Goten looked horrified at the notion. But he didn't say anything else.

"Can't you two stay a little bit longer?" Trunks asked.

"No. We can't wait." Goku finally got up from the table, shaking. "What we have to do right now is really,  _really_ important."

Trunks crossed his arm. "Now hold on a second—"

"See ya!" Goku squeaked, pushing Vegeta into motion in front of him. Both of them dashed out of the restaurant. People entering from the front shot them dirty looks. Vegeta watched Goku sprint across the parking lot, and he followed, jacket billowing in the wind.

"Kakarot!"

"What?!" Goku spun around.

"Are we going to  _run_  the whole way back?!"

Goku opened his mouth wide. "Oh!"He grabbed onto Vegeta's arm, and pressed two fingers to his forehead. A second later, they appeared in the main lobby at Capsule Corp.

"Your aim was  _way_  off."

"S-sorry." Goku looked terrified, his eyes roaming the high-ceiling room, looking for intruders. "Do you know if Bulma—?"

"She's probably in the lab. So come." Vegeta grasped onto Goku's jacket sleeve and pulled him through the building until they came to the familiar staircase leading up to bedrooms. Impatient and burning up  _everywhere_ , he ran up the stairs, the sound of Goku panting filling his ears.

He figured they looked ridiculous running like energized kids, but he was too thrilled to care. Soon they were in a hallway. Vegeta flung open the door to his room and pulled Goku in, as if he didn't have enough sense to simply walk in. Goku stumbled further toward the bed, back turned to Vegeta. He straightened his composure and became still.

"Vegeta…" He swayed on his feet.  _Shit, is he about to faint?_ Instead, Goku turned around, slowly, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Don't worry, Kakarot." Vegeta pushed the door closed. "I will try to keep your jacket intact this time."


	10. Part Ten

"Vegeta," Goku asked, dangling in his hand the shoes he just took off, "should I put these back in the closet?"

The shoes were slapped out of his hand. "Shut- _up,_ Kakarot." Without hesitation, Vegeta straddled his lap and began to kiss him again. The familiar warmth returned, and Goku ran a hand up under Vegeta's jacket to rub his back. Breaking the kiss, Vegeta removed enough layers of clothing so that he was shirtless.

Goku smiled, wide and innocent, and gingerly ran his fingers across Vegeta's bare chest. He felt Vegeta tense when he ran his thumb across a nipple.

"Don't you dare."

But Goku was already raising his knees, lifting Vegeta up higher for easy access. He rubbed his tongue flat against the raised bump repeatedly, enjoying the feeling of Vegeta squirming against him, cursing loud in the silence. He ran his hands across Vegeta's back again, roaming down past his waist, to the scar over his tailbone.

Vegeta bucked on top of him. "Fuck!"

 _No, things aren't going as he planned at all._  To rile him up, Goku rubbed his finger against the scar and raised his head to laugh in Vegeta's face. "You're adorable."

Vegeta slapped him hard, and Goku felt tears rise in his eyes. "You  _want_ me to hurt you, don't you?!"

Stars dancing in his vision, Goku nodded vigorously, sighing in joy. He felt himself be pushed back onto the bed, and all of his clothes get pulled off. He tittered nervously when he saw his boxers slide off and be tossed over Vegeta's shoulder. The room became colder, and he felt vulnerable having his body looked over.

"Kakarot..." Expecting an insult, Goku closed his eyes and waited for it. There was nothing.

 _What?_ He opened his eyes. Almost tentatively, Vegeta was rubbing Goku's arms up and down. He trailed his hands across his chest, then down to his stomach. "Kakarot," he repeated, a whisper now, and slid his hands down to Goku's hips and thighs. Slowly, he lifted Goku's knees up off the bed and parted his legs. Now completely exposed, Goku blushed. He swore that he was being  _revered_ , Vegeta rubbing the inside of his legs as if touching something precious. "You're so—" Vegeta bit his lip to cut himself off.

Goku felt weak. He threw his head back onto the sheets. "Is this going to hurt?"

Vegeta ignored him, and went about taking off the rest of his own clothes. Goku became mesmerized by his body, and watched him hover in between his own knees, sucking an index and middle finger.

Goku blinked. "Why are you— _Hey_!" He lifted up off the bed, feeling Vegeta graze his fingers across his entrance. "What are you doing?!" A vague idea of how things were  _supposed_  to go was in his head, but he didn't see how fingers could get involved.

"Shh." Vegeta kissed the inside of his thigh, and then rubbed the spot. "Trust me."

"But—but—" Goku felt afraid all of a sudden. "I don't know if I can—"

"You  _can_." Vegeta rubbed his hand from the tip of Goku's erection back down to his clenching tightness. "You  _will_."

Goku lolled his head back, and dug his hands into the bundled up sheets around his head. Vegeta continued to rub him, harder now, and Goku could hear himself start to pant. The sheets in his hands twisted into a knot when he felt himself being entered. "Ah!"

Vegeta chuckled, and pressed another finger in to the knuckle. Goku writhed as he was stretched and pressed into, burning sensation buried under pleasure. Soon he felt Vegeta start to  _thrust_ , his fingers curling when deepest in him, hitting  _that_ spot. He rose up off the bed and moaned.  _Fuck._  The room was tilting, and he raised his head to see Vegeta staring back at him with a hazy look on his face.

Eager, Goku pressed himself against the thrusts. "Please, Vegeta..."

"Please what?" Vegeta asked deadpan.

"Please  _anything_."

Vegeta ran a hand up and down the inside of Goku's leg, coming to a rest at the base of his member. He brought his mouth down and swallowed him whole.

"Nng!" Goku drew up his legs in surprise at the sensation; he felt fingers pump further inside of him, in rhythm with Vegeta's bobbing head. Sucking hard, Vegeta pulled his mouth to Goku's tip, then grazed it with his teeth. Goku gasped for air, his body shuddering in ecstasy, and Vegeta pulled both his wet mouth and fingers from him.

Protesting, he whined. "No…"

He was flipped over onto all fours, and Vegeta grabbed his hips hard enough to bruise him. "No?"

Before he could respond, pain came from behind, and light burst before his eyes. He went blind. "FUCK!" He coughed and fell down on both his arms.

"You sound beautiful, Kakarot," Vegeta growled, pushing himself inside deeper. Goku buried his face in the sheets to muffle his groan as Vegeta pressed in to the hilt. Light kisses fell onto his back as Vegeta began to thrust slow and smooth.

"Vegeta,  _harder_ ," he choked out. Vegeta muttered something unintelligible, and shifted his hips to change the angle of his thrusts. He pounded harder.  _I'm going to die_ , Goku thought through lust, and felt himself come undone when Vegeta slammed against his prostate. " _Kami!_ " He pushed himself back to meet Vegeta's thrusts, his backside ramming against Vegeta's stomach on each impact.

"Kakarot," Vegeta moaned above him, panting and delirious. He began to chant his name mindlessly. Goku could only whimper in response, loving the way his name rolled off Vegeta's tongue.

When he felt so  _close_ , Vegeta pulled a hand off his waist. Sudden pressure came upon his tail scar, rubbing and stroking. Ending him. He yelled, and all the feeling in his body drained out of him onto the sheets in quick spurts. He shook with perfect numbness, senses overloaded with Vegeta still thrusting from behind. Light drops of water fell onto his back— _sweat?_ —and the sound of Vegeta hissing filled his ears. An explosion of warmth burned his insides, and Vegeta collapsed on top of him. Three more thrusts, and Goku felt him become limp. Vegeta's chest was slick with sweat, and he slipped against Goku while rolling over onto his back. Both lied next to each other in a tangle of limbs.

Goku wiped away the sweat collected on his brow and exhaled slowly. Lazy, he rolled over on his side to look Vegeta in the face. He squinted his eyes, vision still blurry. "Are you  _crying_?"

Vegeta blinked hard, and wetness fell from the corners of both his eyes. "Fuck you, Kakarot." His voice was hoarse.

"Wow," Goku said softly. Filled with a childlike curiously, he pressed a finger against Vegeta's cheek. The flesh turned white before fading back to red. Happy, he pulled Vegeta into a simple kiss and rubbed away the tears on his face. Vegeta didn't resist, and moved closer to bury his head beneath Goku's chin. The scent of wet hair filled Goku's senses as he nuzzled the top of his scalp.

"I can't feel my legs," Vegeta said, muffled.

"I can't either." Goku sighed. "But no need to run off anytime soon. Right?"

* * *

He didn't know what time it was. When he woke up, the first thing he saw was Goku naked next to him. The second was an array of clothing lying all over the floor.

_Oh. Right._

He remained still. If he moved, he was sure Goku would wake up. He wasn't sure if he wanted that just yet.

 _Shit._ He remembered. With all of the intention in the world to simply fuck Goku brainless—which he succeeded in doing—he had  _cried_. Relentlessly.  _Almost like a bitch._ He cried when fucking, cried when he came, and cried when Goku got a good look at his face. He could probably count on one hand the number of times he cried during his life, most of them being awful situations, but never did he cry when so  _goddamned happy._

And he didn't even get  _fancy_. Goku wasn't exactly put on a thrill ride, having limbs thrown everywhere in every position, but he was given a very dedicated screwing nonetheless. Either way, there was no reason for him to get emotional. There wasn't  _supposed_ to be anything emotional about sex...

"Vegeta, are you awake?"

He pulled his head out from beneath Goku's chin. " _You're_  awake?"

"I never went to sleep."

 _Damn. Am I slipping?_ "Oh."

"So, um," Goku was flush in the face, "what do we do now?"

"If you give me about ten minutes, I'll have an excellent suggestion."

"I don't know if I could!" Goku said, genuinely worried.

"I was joking. Sort of."

"Oh."

Vegeta closed his eyes again, waiting for Goku to say anything else.

"Vegeta, could I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Have you ever had sex with another man before?"

 _What the fuck?_ "No."

"Oh." Goku twiddled his thumbs together. "Have you ever wanted to? Not including me?"

"Um, I don't remember."

"How could you not remember something like that?!" Goku looked crazed. "I wouldn't ever forget wanting to—you know—"

 _He's spazzing._ "Is it really that big of a deal?" Vegeta rubbed his temples. He figured it would become a bad habit like Goku's head-scratching the more they spent time with each other. "You're stressing too much. Just be happy."

"Oh, I  _am_  happy."

Vegeta smiled.  _Then I accomplished my goal._

"Another question. Why were you crying?"

 _Shit! Why can't he shut the hell up?_ "I don't know, Kakarot."

"Were you upset?"

"No." He opened his eyes and sighed heavily, as if there were a weight on him. "I was very, very happy. I guess."

"You cried because you were  _happy_? To be with  _me_?"

"Yes."

Goku held his mouth open, as if surprised. He moved so that he was resting his face on Vegeta's chest.

"Kakarot, you can be so weird."

Expecting to spend the rest of the evening lounging around and putting up with more of Goku's pestering, fate had a different plan for Vegeta. The door flew open. "Hey, the door isn't locked, so Dad probably isn't in...in...ah…aha..." Standing in the doorway was Trunks. "Ah...ah...AHH!" He screamed.

"Aw, fuck," Vegeta said.

"Trunks, what's going—" In stepped Gohan. He froze. "Dad?!"

" _Gohan_!" Goku sat up off the bed. In a sorry attempt to exercise modesty, he flung some sheets over his lower half. "What are you doing here?!"

"What are  _YOU_  doing here?!"

"What's going on!" Farther down the hallway came the voice of Goten. "Did you guys walk in on Vegeta sleeping or something?"

"Gods. Anyone else here with you all? Maybe some friends? Neighbors even?" Vegeta pulled himself up so that his weight was supported against the bed's headrest. Goku looked at him, screeched, and threw a pillow over his crotch.

"Ah. AHH!" Trunks held both sides of his face, mouth wide enough to show teeth. "I—NO—WHAT?"

"I don't understand," Gohan said low. He shook his head. "This is an impossibility."

 _Oh, gods, the brat is trying to use logic._ Vegeta placed both hands behind his head and relaxed. He and Goku were in as incriminating of a situation possible, so there was no use trying to lie. "What's an impossibility? We had sex."

"NO! What he meant to say is that—that—" Goku grasped out for an excuse, "we were trying out some new...fighting moves! Yeah!" Confidently he held up a finger. "And it requires both fighters to be in the nude. Right, Vegeta?"

"If that's what you want to call it, Kakarot."

Trunks crushed his palms into his eyes. "I'm going to be scarred for the rest of my life!" His voice was high, and Vegeta found it reminiscent of a pre-pubescent Trunks. "This is the kind of thing that fucks up kids  _mentally_ , Dad!"

"I don't even know what to say!" Gohan said, incredulous. "I mean—you and  _Vegeta_?!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Goten walked up behind Gohan, trying to peek over his shoulder.

"No! Get out!" Trunks shoved both Gohan and Goten out of the doorway. He closed the door in front of him once they were all far enough into the hall.

"Veg _eee_ ta!" Goku covered his face. "This is so embarrassing!"

"It's just sex." Vegeta pulled himself off the bed and started to put his clothes back on. "They'll have to get over it."

"But—" Goku jumped off the mattress and snatched his pants off the floor. "What will they think of us being together?"

"What?" Vegeta turned around to look at Goku. He continued to button up his shirt. "WHAT did you say?"

"You know." Goku pushed both his hands together, flat, palms touching. "Together."

 _Oh, no._ "Kakarot." He walked over to Goku and pulled his hands apart. "I care for you. You are my rival, and you are my friend. But—"

"But what?" The glow Goku had only minutes ago was fading away. His eyes were wide.

 _Why is he making me do this?_ "I don't—I  _can't_ —give you that  _thing_ you want from me."

Goku looked...angry. "And what is it I want from you?"

"I'm not saying." Vegeta fell back onto the edge of the bed to put his shoes back on. He avoided Goku's leer.

"So everything we just did was for nothing."

"It wasn't for nothing. You  _liked_  it, didn't you?"

Goku pulled back on his Capsule Corp jacket. He fiddled with its buttons and zippers. "You just broke my heart."

"Oh,  _here we go!_ " Vegeta fell back onto the bed and stretched his arms out. "For fucks sake, stop being such a woman. I thought you would be able to just enjoy yourself, but you even have to let your emotions rule  _this._ Just like when you fight."

"I can't help it."

"Yes, you  _can_. With the way you're going on, I would think you've never had sex just for the hell of it."

"I  _never have_."

Vegeta pulled himself up off the bed. He walked to the front of the room, mumbling. "I'm going to go talk with the idiots outside." When he stepped out the room, he saw Trunks and Goten sitting on the staircase.

"DAD!" Trunks yelled, shooting up off his step. "Gohan went to talk with Mom. I don't think he wants to walk into any more rooms on accident."

He grabbed his son's shoulder hard. "Listen up. Nothing is wrong. You are almost fully grown, so you can handle whatever it was you saw in there." He looked at Goten. "Did you tell him?"

"Goten? No. He was  _spared_ the horror."

"What horror? What happened?" Goten looked at the door to the bedroom. Out walked Goku. His hair was a mess, but his clothes looked orderly.

"Hey, Goten," he said softly. "I'm sorry about leaving the restaurant so soon." He gave Vegeta an accusing glare.

"That's okay." He pulled at Goku's arm. "I need to talk to you about something real quick, though." He pulled Goku down the stairs. Vegeta could tell they were headed in the direction leading to the building entrance.

"Damn, that boy is slow in the head," Vegeta said to break the silence.

Still horrified, Trunks calmed himself enough to look his father in the face. "He's leaving again. For good."

* * *

Goku felt weird coming outside in the sunshine of evening, imagining he'd come from a different world. While walking, he realized he was moving a bit funny to accommodate the soreness from being screwed mercilessly.  _Goddammit, Vegeta._  Goten pulled him along outside of the Capsule Corp front entrance. "What is it you want to talk to me about?"

"I got a phone call earlier." Goten looked up into the sky. "She wants me to come back."

"But you  _just_  came back." Goku winced at the fresh pain in his stomach.  _So much to happen in one day._

"I just have to head on back and talk to her." He hugged Goku. "I'll be back one day."

"One day?!" Goku backed away from Goten. "What do you mean by 'one day'? You sound like it will be forever before I see you again!"

"No. It won't be like that at all."

"I mean," Goku crossed his arms, "you're going to  _at least_  give me a way to contact you, right?"

"No," he spat, "I don't  _need_  you calling me."

Goku seized both his son's shoulders. "What's  _wrong_ with you, Goten? Are you trying to hide something?"

"I…I think I'm…" Goten screwed up his face, considered what was about to come out of his mouth. "Remember how I told you it was creepy back at the house?"

Goku raised a brow. "Yeah? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I used to see  _ghosts_ , Dad."

 _Ghosts?_ Memories of the party came flashing back, of being sick, and going to the bathroom. He remembered curling up on the floor because he was tired and wanted to sleep. And he looked up at the ceiling—

" _GHOSTS_!" he screamed, jumping up off the ground. "Chi-Chi!"

Goten turned pale. "So you've seen her too!" He gnashed his teeth together. "I knew I couldn't be the only one. I  _knew it._ "

"Yes!" He pulled Goten closer. "Oh my gods, I thought I was just crazy! I've seen her twice." Goku held up two fingers. "Once in a photograph, and another time floating above me!"

Goten shook his head. "I used to see her  _all the time._  Right after she died. She would walk around the house cleaning, like she used to."

"Cleaning!?" Goku shivered. All anger at Vegeta melted away into…pure and absolute terror. "Why did you never tell me this?!"

"I…" Goten held a hand up to his head. "I wasn't  _allowed_  to."

"Not allowed?!"

"She told me not to tell you."

"The ghost? She did?" Goku bit his lip. "Why?!"

"I don't know! That's why  _I'm_ not going back to that place, especially now that she knows I told you about her!"

Chi-Chi's ghost. All the time she was dead, she'd been parading about  _messing_ with all of them.  _And Vegeta!_ "Vegeta!"

"What about Vegeta?"

"She hurt him!" Suddenly angry, Goku balled his fists. "All the time he was over my house. She hurt him a  _lot._ " And it made perfect sense, Vegeta being so weak inside of the house, and becoming better once they went outside. He would feel better with Bulma's medicine, but even then—

"Dad, I'm leaving." Goten spun around and began to walk away, working his way up to a sprint.

"Wait, Goten! Don't you want to try and figure this all out?"

"No. Never." He looked over his shoulder. "I've got to get out of here. I've stayed too long anyway."

Realization dawned upon Goku. "Goten. You aren't  _really_  going back to your old girlfriend, are you?"

Goten stood still, his back still to his father. "Yes. I am."

"No you're not." Goku stepped closer. "Your girlfriend never  _was_  pregnant. Because she never told you that in the first place."

"Leave me alone."

"You never ran off with her. You just ran away  _by yourself._ "

"Stop it."

"You lied to all of us. That's why you never called." Goku was almost touching him. "So we wouldn't have proof of anything. And even when you called Gohan, it was on someone else's phone. "

Goten spun around. He looked...different. Threatening. Goku stepped back in fear. "Do you want to know the  _real_  reason I left?"

"I know now, Goten. You were afraid."

"No." He shook his head ridiculously fast. "I left because the ghost told me if I didn't, you would die _._ "

He flew off into the air. Frightened, Goku stood frozen in his spot in front of the building. He watched his son disappear far above the clouds, a flickering ball of fire, until he was gone completely.

* * *

"Hey! Where's your son?"

Goku turned around and saw Vegeta walking up to him, slow. On his guard. "He just…left."

Vegeta studied Goku's face and saw that his skin was pallid. "Trunks told me—"

"No. He's been lying, Vegeta." Goku looked awkward with his hands buried in his pant pockets. "He never ran off with his girlfriend. He's been living alone the whole time."

"What?"  _What is he going on about?_

"Yeah." Goku looked tired. "I'm going to go home now."

"Huh? Now hold on." Vegeta grabbed onto Goku's wrist. "What just happened here? Explain why the brat ditched you, because Trunks doesn't know why either. They apparently got into an argument after we left the restaurant."

Goku ran a hand through his hair. The gesture was a bad tendency of his, but the way he did it  _now_  made him look weary. Older. "If we had stayed with them, I don't think any of this would have happened."

"Oh, come off it. Just because we went off to screw—"

"Vegeta—"

" _Doesn't_  mean it made your son any more inclined to run away again." It was getting cold out, and the sun was close to the horizon. He zipped up his jacket. "Now tell me more about him lying. So he didn't run away with some girl? He just ran away to be a moody teenager somewhere?"

"No," Goku said, obviously itching to get away. "There's a reason why he left. A bad one."

 _More drama._ "And what reason would  _that_  be?"

"Listen." Goku began to hop from foot to foot. "I have to go back home and figure some stuff out."

"Stuff? Stuff like what?"

"Leave me  _alone_ , Vegeta. I have to go." Goku rose a few feet into the air.

"Wait—!" Vegeta stomped his foot. "What about—you know—earlier?"

Goku smiled sad. "I think I ended up liking you too much, 'Geta. I'm sorry."

 _The hell?_ "You can never like me too much, Kakarot."  _Please don't leave._

"Thank you for taking care of me. And tell Bulma thanks too." He flew up into the air, eyes still locked on Vegeta, before raising his energy and blasting off past the building. Vegeta ran a short distance and trailed Goku's path, but gave up when he knew it wouldn't be wise to follow.

"Vegeta."

He whipped around. Bulma was a few feet behind him. She was wearing her lab coat, and her goggles were pushed to the top of her head.  _I've seen her like this before._ But instead of feeling a sense of admiration for her beauty, he felt nothing but familiarity. "Kakarot ran off."

"Trunks was speechless, so Gohan told me about what happened."

 _That boy has a huge fucking mouth._ "Did he."

She began to tap her foot nervously, and did a weird motion with her head. She was nervous. "I think you made a huge mistake."

"He made a big deal out of it."

"You  _hurt_  him, didn't you? Of course you did." She was tapping her foot faster now. "I bet that's the whole reason he just left without as much as a goodbye."

"I didn't  _mean_ to do it."

"What? Fuck around with his feelings? Too bad Goku didn't talk with me first, because I could have told him you wouldn't think doing something intimate actually  _meant_ something."

He rounded on her, teeth bared. "He wants me to  _love_ him! I can't do that! How could anyone expect me to!?" Bulma winced, but took the brunt of his anger. She was almost immune to it by this point. "He's lucky I actually got to the point where I wanted to  _do_ him instead of  _kill_ him."

"Why do you have to be like this!" Bulma yelled. Vegeta became unnerved by how loud she was, especially with them being outside. "Whenever someone wants to love you, you run away! You did it with Trunks, and you did it with  _me_."

"Oh! So is this what all the theatrics are about?" Vegeta laughed. "Is this about you? Do you want me to be in love with  _you_?"

"NO!" Birds in droves flew out of the surrounding trees on the property. "I want Goku to have the chance I never got!"

His anger melted away. "I'm tired of all of this. I give up." He walked back through the Capsule Corp front doors. It was amazing how the day wasn't over yet.


	11. Part Eleven

It had been three days since Goku came back to his home.

Every second he spent alone, he was terrified.

He was always on his toes. Waiting. He got little sleep at night after discovering that tree branches would scratch up against his bedside window. He felt like he was in a horror movie, and that the monster could jump out at any time to end him.

He tried using psychology on himself. Before Goten even mentioned Chi-Chi's ghost, he'd never been 'hurt' by her before.  _So why worry now?_ But Vegeta got hurt several times. There seemed to be no method or order to when and where she would appear. He prayed she wouldn't ever appear as she did that one night at the party. Bloody.

 _All I can do is wait_ , he thought while making dinner. Night was falling quickly on his house, a time when he would usually go and gaze at the sunset. But he knew that if he went outside, he would make up an excuse to not come back in the house. He could call up Gohan for company, but what with the random visit to Capsule Corp a few days ago, Goku was too ashamed. Gohan called later, all shyness, to explain that he was there to only talk to Goten. Gohan never mentioned what he saw that day.  _Boy, did he and Trunks get an eyeful._

For the first time in all his life of knowing him, he wished Vegeta was around to give him confidence. He could even take a few insults at this point. The Prince of all Saiyans would never be afraid of ghosts. Goku laughed out loud at the image in his head of Vegeta punching a ghost in the face.

When would he see him again? Goku stirred the rice he was cooking, making zig-zag patterns through it. The sex had overwhelmed him, as well as opened him up to a whole new world of...feelings he didn't think existed. "Being naive sucks," he muttered, lowering the flame eye on his gas stove. Vegeta had given him  _all_  of that so fast, and he wished he could think on it constantly in pleasure. Not regret.  _I screwed up our friendship trying to get something I knew I couldn't have._

_Brring!_

Goku jumped. His heart began to race. He looked on the kitchen counter and saw that his phone was ringing. He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Goku!" It was Taffy.

"Oh. Hi!" He was too enthused. Lonely.

"I was wondering if your schedule isn't too busy this week." She was chipper, a deep contrast to the world around him. Darkness was falling fast.

"Oh. Yeah! You can come over any time, really." He looked down at the stove. "In fact, I'm making dinner right now. Want to share?"

"Oh. Really?"

"Sure. I could use the company."

"That sounds neat. Where do you live?" He gave her directions to his house, hoping they weren't too vague. "That's a way's away, isn't it? But I'll start moving out now. You're too kind."

"No problem!" Their conversation ended.

 _Thank goodness._ At least he could keep paranoia at bay while someone else was around. Bits of fish, string peas, and sauce were added to the rice. He wanted to stay calm and distracted until Taffy showed up.

Goku turned around. He saw that a chair at the kitchen table had been dragged a fraction of an inch across the floor.  _Maybe?_  He felt cold all of a sudden, and decided to busy himself with the food again. An hour passed, and the familiar sound of a car pulling up to the front of the house filled his ears. Eagerly, he ran to the front door and opened it.

"Hi!" Taffy waved. The engine to her car died as she climbed out of the driver's seat. She was wearing a light blue sun dress, slightly informal, but too showy for someone  _just_ interested in training. She carried a purse with her, huge on her thin arm. Goku thought of her as beautiful and out-of-place in the world around his home.

"Hello, Taffy." Goku held the door open for her. She walked in and immediately began to inspect his living room. He was glad he bothered to clean earlier. He led her into the kitchen, and she sat down in the chair  _that had moved yet again another inch across the floor holy gods—_

"Goku, are you okay?" She scooted her seat up to the table. "You look—"

"Like I've seen a ghost?"

"Uh, sure. I was going to say sick, but whatever." Her small hands were dainty, he noticed.  _Has she fought a day in her life?_ She took the napkin set on the table and spread it across her lap. "I didn't know you were big into cooking, too."

"Oh, yeah. When you live alone you have to cook constantly." He felt dumb for stating the obvious, but didn't care. The smell of fried rice jogged his memory, and he rushed to the oven to pull out two plates he'd prepared earlier. Luckily, both were still warm. "I made stir fry. I hope it's okay."

"Looks good to me," she said when the plates were set on the table. She flipped her hair. "So what is it you do out here everyday, all by your lonesome?"

"Uh." Goku gulped a mouthful of rice. "I train."

"Really? Like,  _all of the time?_ "

"Yeah!" Goku smiled. The woman had no idea who she was talking to.

"Wow. That must take a lot of dedication."

Goku jumped. "Wha!" Under the table her hand was on his knee. Rubbing. He blushed. "Umm, what are you doing?"

"Come on,  _Sooo_ n Goku," she said, drawling on his surname, "I know you have some  _needs_  you don't get met while out here all alone."

 _Whoa. This is an interesting turn of events._ "Uh, needs?"

"Yes." She purred and rose from the table. Soon she was sitting sideways in his lap. She was on top of something  _vital_ , and it only made Goku more uncomfortable. She draped her arms around his broad shoulders, looking tiny and vulnerable in comparison. Blonde hair cast a sheet over half her face as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his ear. "I am interested in more than training, you know."

"That's obvious," he said in a high voice.

She tilted head, her lips in a pout. "Don't you want a kiss?"

He opened his mouth to protest, but she was already advancing, her mouth so close to his own—but she stopped when he started to scream.

"What? WHAT?!" she hissed. She turned her head and looked across the table at what Goku was gawking at, and started to scream herself.

_Oh no no no no—_

**"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?"**

A broken and much more horrible version of Chi-Chi was sitting on the opposite side of the table. Her hair cascaded in greasy locks across the tabletop and down to the floor. Dried trails of blood marked both sides of her pasty face. Her eyes were nothing but white, milky orbs. Blind. Goku could not see her arms, as she was dressed in a heavy kimono that was drenched with something black and putrid.

_I'm going to die tonight._

"What the fuck is THAT!" Taffy screamed, holding onto Goku for dear life.

Goku clung back. "It's Chi-Chi!"

"Who?!"

 **"HIS WIFE,"** Chi-Chi bellowed, her deep voice echoing throughout the house. Goku's teeth started to chatter.

"Is she a—a—ah—ah—?!"

"A GHOST!" Goku cried out.

 **"YOU SLUT. YOU WHORE. YOU JEZEBEL!"** Chi-Chi roared the last word, and her hair billowed as if a gust of wind blew through the kitchen.  **"WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU COULD ACCOMPLISH COMING HERE?"**

"I—I don't know—"

 **"THEN LET ME BEAT THE ANSWER OUT OF YOU."** The ghost floated up out of the chair and revealed two long, scaly appendages resembling arms. Goku moaned and tumbled out of his seat, Taffy still in his grip. Raised high above Chi-Chi's head was a warped frying pan. Taunting, she smashed it against the top of the table, which broke in half and crashed to the floor.

"I'm getting out of this place!" Taffy screeched. She pulled herself from Goku's grasp and dashed out of the kitchen. He froze and watched Chi-Chi speed through the air, frying pan wielded. A loud  _FWAP_ echoed through the house, and he heard a body fall to the floor.

"Taffy?!" He ran out of the kitchen and looked into the living room. On the mat by the fireplace was Taffy's body sprawled out and limp.

"Chi-Chi, why did you do that?!"

Chi-Chi turned her head around.  **"NO ONE ELSE CAN LOVE YOU."**

"Wha—what is that supposed to mean?!" He started to back up as she floated toward him. "Why are you here? What do you want?" He found himself up against the kitchen counter.  _Trapped!_  "Chi-Chi, please tell me!"

But she twirled the frying pan in her hand, pulled back, and smacked him across the face. He dropped to his knees, the pain in his head  _incredible_. A low groan emitted from his throat and he collapsed to the floor.

His vision blurred in and out, and all he could hear was a low ringing. Was he hallucinating the noise? It continued to echo in his mind and sharpen the pain throbbing on the side of his face. Excruciatingly slow, he lifted his head off the sticky kitchen floor and looked up. A dark figure was hovered over Taffy, doing something horrible...

The ringing noise came back.  _What the hell is that?_ It sounded like his pho—

"KAKAROT, OPEN UP THE FUCKING DOOR!"

Goku blinked. "Vegeta?" A loud explosion filled the living room, the door blasting off its hinges and landing onto the couch. Dust spread out in a circle from the front entrance, Vegeta's lone figure standing as a silhouette through the smoke.

"Where are you, and why aren't you answering your phone?!" He walked through the debris. "And whose car is that in the—"

"Vegeta!" Goku cried out. He clawed against the kitchen floor. "Vegeta, watch out!"

Another explosion shook the house. "What the hell is THAT!"

"It's Chi-Chi!" Goku could see her rising up off the floor now, away from Taffy. Splatters of blood were on the front of the blonde's blue dress. Vegeta held up a hand and sent a series of blasts through the ghost, destroying furniture and walling in his wake. Horrified, Goku pulled himself off the floor with all of the energy he had left. His muscles burned with every movement, but he ignored it in his plight. Running, he jumped on top of Vegeta and threw him to the floor, acting as a living shield. "Stay away from him!"

Vegeta squirmed beneath his weight. "Let me kill this thing! It looks disgusting!"

"Don't hurt him," Goku mumbled, clinging to Vegeta. Chi-Chi began to screech, the awful noise shaking the floors and the ceiling. "Please,  _please_  don't hurt him."

She howled, and smoke began to furl around her, until it wafted off into the breeze entering the house. She had disappeared.

Vegeta shoved Goku off of him. "What is going on?!" He looked over at Taffy's body. "And what is  _she_  doing here?"

"Chi-Chi's ghost attacked her." Goku gulped. "And then she attacked me."

"Your wife is a  _ghost_?!"

"Ya-huh."

"Ugh." Vegeta rolled over onto his side. "I'm starting to wish I never came to this planet."

Goku stood up. He was still in pain, and glanced around to see if any more danger was lurking. He peered out the front door. "Hey, look at that." Wincing, he raised an arm so he could point outside. It was already nighttime, but Goku could see his lawn clearly. On a rock sat a small woman bent over. Goku raised both arms up off his sides to balance himself. "I'm going outside."

"What?!" Vegeta was still shocked by the blood-covered woman on the floor. "What about her? It looked like your harpy was sucking the blood out of her neck!"

Goku was already out the doorway. The moon was full and glowing in the cloudless night. A faint weeping noise rose from the woman sitting on the rock. Her back heaved up and down with sobs. Goku limped over to the rock and fell down onto his tailbone."Chi-Chi?"

The woman's face was buried between her hands. She lowered her palms, exposing a woman maybe eighteen or nineteen years old. While translucent, her appearance was familiar to him. She was wearing a flowing wedding dress that hid her feet, and her hair was down to her shoulders. She tilted her head as she looked at Goku, eyes filling to the brim with what looked like real tears. "Goku," she said softly, voice no longer booming.

"Is it really you?" Goku's eyes widened. He tried to touch her cheek, but his hand only passed through her image.

"Oh, Goku," she sighed. She rested her head on his shoulder. Goku felt only a cold breeze blow against him. "I've missed you."

He wanted to hold her, and ached when he knew it to be impossible. "I've missed you too."

She held up a hand. Goku saw that it was covered with a lacy white glove. "You have forgotten me."

"No! Never." He pressed his hand against her ghostly one. He spun his fingers around and saw wisps of smoke twirl around them. Weightless.  _She is so young._

"I love you, Goku. Why don't you love me back?" Tears fell from her face. "I love you so much."

Never thinking he would have the chance to speak all he'd felt in over a year, he slumped over his knees, exhausted. "I couldn't give you what you deserved. I was just a kid when we got married. I didn't know all that I know now."

She looked up at the moon. "So it's my fault."

"No. It's no one's fault."

"But you're in love  _now_."

Goku frowned and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah." He stretched his legs out and watched his shoes get wet from dew in the grass. "I am."

"UGH! I can't believe you're  _talking_  to it!" Vegeta screamed from the doorway.

Chi-Chi looked over her shoulder, and more tears began to flow. "What does he have that  _I_  don't have?"

 _Way to break the moment, Vegeta._ "Oh, Chi-Chi, I didn't know that I was—"

"Hush," she said, bringing a ghostly finger to her mouth. "Let me rest knowing it true only in my mind."

"I'm sorry it took this long."

She was staring at the moon again. "I just wanted what was best for everyone in my family. That's the reason I'm here now."

 _What was best for everyone? Goten._ Goku wanted to be angry, and felt it would be righteous. But Chi-Chi wasn't even alive anymore, and the woman next to him may only be as real as a mirror image. She was defeated and lonely now. Maybe harmless with her less threatening facade. "Why did you tell Goten to run away? And that I would die if he stayed here?"

She wrung her hands together, the gloves peeling off some. "It was my  _unfinished business_."

"Your  _what_?"

"Before I died…" She winced, as if the knowledge of her own demise pained her. "Before I died, I wanted Goten to live and be somewhere safe."

"I know," Goku growled, remembering the letters she sent him so long ago. He hadn't looked at them once since Vegeta arrived at his house weeks before. The words they held made him fume inward, but he continued to listen with bubbling impatience. He clenched his fists and dug his fingernails into his palm.

"I thought that was the only reason I came back. To try and save Goten. So I threatened him into leaving, making him believe I would kill you if he didn't. I knew he wouldn't leave on his own."

"Chi-Chi…That's awful. How could you ever do that to him?" Goku glared at her. "For the longest time I thought he left because I couldn't handle him. Because he got into a bit of trouble I could have told him to avoid."

She grasped both sides of her head. She was in pain. "I wanted what was best for him. But it turned out all wrong."

 _Ugh._ Goku shook his head. The ghost was being irrational, and he was tired of trying to dig up information. "So if you accomplished your goal of getting Goten to leave me, why did you stick around? Why did you hurt Vegeta and Taffy?"  _And me_ , he wanted to add.

"I was wrong." She twirled a finger around in her hair. Childish. "Goten wasn't my only unfinished business. I wanted you to be in love with me so badly…"

"So what did you hope to accomplish!" Goku's voice rose, stark in the still night air. "How could you get me to love you when you would hurt other people?"

She began to cry again, real tears dropping off her face and falling to the ground. It was borderline melodrama, but Goku assumed Chi-Chi had no reason to grasp for sympathy. "I  _couldn't_ , Goku. So I tried to keep you  _away_ from other people."

_Running from Capsule Corp...passing out at the party...and then there was Taffy..._

She kicked up a foot from under her dress, aimless, simply distracting herself. "I have boundaries, though. Tonight, I am at my strongest."

"What do you mean?"

"This is the first time I've ever been outside." She gazed up at clear sky, mystified. "It's beautiful."

Sick of her erratic attitude, he brought her back to focus. "So why do you look the way you do now?"

"YEAH, why aren't you a monster anymore?!" Vegeta was still standing a safe enough distance away.

 _More noise from the peanut gallery!_ Goku looked over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at Vegeta. "Shut-up! You're not helping."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I gave up. I saw how you acted in there." She pointed back at the house. "You two are nearly inseparable."

Goku felt sad, not even sure if he and Vegeta were really friends anymore.  _Rivals._ "I will always care for you, Chi-Chi. The best I can."

She rubbed his forearm affectionately. "Yes. Yes."

"And I'm going to take care of Goten the best I can." He wanted to shake her. "I am a good father. I  _am_."

"Goku..."

"I'm not leaving  _ever_  again, Chi-Chi." He stared into her eyes, the ones he remembered gazing into for most of his life. "I left you all of the time. I'm so sorry, even for the times I couldn't help it. But I'm not going to do it anymore. All I can do now is stay faithful to our son." _It's all I can do because the past has left me._

"Oooh," she moaned. She stared at Goku for a moment, as if reading his heart and mind. More tears flowed. "Why couldn't you have said that a long time ago?"

"It wasn't true until recently." He stared back at her, and noticed she was starting to disappear. "Chi-Chi?"

"I'm sorry too." She clutched his arm. "I could have been better to you." She got up from the rock and smoothed out her dress. "I guess you can only do so much while alive."

"Chi-Chi, where are you going?"

She walked away from Goku and treaded across the grass. The train of her dress floated behind her. "I have enough strength to visit one more person."

"Huh? What do you mean?" She was almost gone completely, slipping from the world. "Chi-Chi!" He ran after her.

"Stop chasing the past, Goku. You'll end up like me." Her voice was light and airy; she began to lift upward off the lawn. She walked as if an imaginary staircase was before her, leading up into the span of sky.

"Chi-Chi!" He flew up after her, throwing his hands out to catch the hem of her dress. But she disappeared the moment he touched her.

He drifted back down and landed on his back.  _This has been the weirdest month ever._ Soft steps walked across the lawn toward him, and he looked up to see Vegeta's frowning face. "Look at what's next to you."

Goku turned his head and saw two familiar envelopes an inch away. They were sitting on the grass as if placed gently by a kind messenger.  _The letters!_ Frantically he opened them. Expecting pages laced with Chi-Chi's dark ink, he saw that each sheet was blank and  _clean_. As if they'd never been written on at all.

"Are you okay?" Vegeta pulled Goku up off the ground. Almost motherly, he dusted the mud off Goku's pants; he even spun him around to wipe caked dirt off his rear. "So  _she's_ the reason your son left?"

"Yeah." Goku closed his eyes and smiled. "But that doesn't matter anymore. She  _knows_  now."

"Knows what?"

"That I'm a good father."

"I already told you that you were a good father." Vegeta supported Goku's back with a palm. "I told you that long ago."

"You did." The pain from getting hit earlier had disappeared, but Goku still felt weak. He slung his arm across Vegeta's shoulder and walked back into the house. Quickly he glanced at Vegeta's face to see how he would react to the physical contact.

Vegeta remained placid. "So when… _freaky_  stuff would happen to me—that was her?"

"Yeah."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "If I'd known that, I would have blown her fucking head off while she was talking to you."

"You wouldn't have been able to even if you tried—"

"Don't walk." Vegeta bent Goku over so that he leaning backward; he pulled him up off the ground so that he supported him in both his arms. Bridal style. Vegeta walked through the blown-up doorway, Goku feeling dreamy. Until he noticed what was on the floor.

"Taffy!" he yelled.

"Oh. I almost forgot," Vegeta said sarcastically. He placed Goku on the now beat-up couch, and shook Taffy violently with the toe of his boot. "Hey. You. Get up."

"Vegeta, that isn't nice." Goku spread out on the couch as much as possible. The door blasted off earlier was taking up most of the space over the cushions.

"Uuuugh…" Taffy roused out of unconsciousness. Slowly she brought her hand up to her neck. "That thing earlier…It bit me."

"Yes." Vegeta glared down at her. "It was a…vampire."

"A  _vampire?_ " Her blue dress pooled around her as she gathered enough strength to get up off the rug. "A vampire? Really?"

"Yes." Vegeta smirked. " _Goku_  and I are vampire hunters."

Goku coughed through a bit of smoke that rose up out of the couch. "Goku? Goku? Who is this  _Goku_?" he asked aloud.  _Has Vegeta_ ever _called me by my Earth name?_

"Vampire…hunters?" She swayed dangerously on her feet. "Are you for real?"

"Oh yes. Very much."

"Vegeta, you're terrible," Goku yelled from across the room. But Taffy was buying it completely. She bumbled into the kitchen, picked up the purse she brought earlier, and then wandered back into the living room. "Vampire hunters. Amazing. I never would have thought."

"Yes. Now go home." He extended his hands out in the direction of the door in an ushering gesture, as if she couldn't figure out on her own how to exit the house. Goku noticed that her blonde hair was frayed, and that the ends were dyed with blood.  _She's going to have fun figuring that out later._ Limping and confused, she ran outside to her car.

Vegeta turned around and laid eyes on Goku. "Kakarot, explain."

"It's a long story, Vegeta." Goku rubbed the side of his face. "I don't know how much you got from my chat with her earlier, but before she died—"

"No, no,  _no_." Vegeta waved a hand in dismissal. "Explain why  _she_ was over here. The woman."

Goku laughed. "I just invited her over. It's no big deal."

Vegeta turned his nose up in the air. He rested on the exposed edge of couch Goku didn't lie on. "You should have invited  _me_  over, not her."

"Yeah?" Goku wrinkled his nose and sneezed. The dust in the room was irritating his sinuses. "I thought you would be mad after…you know. I mistakenly thought you and me were going to be together."

"No." There was finality in his tone. "I am not mad at you." He blushed, and pulled Goku's hand up to his face. "Do you want me to be honest about something?"

"I guess?" Goku frowned. Vegeta was being weird.

"Back at Capsule Corp, I thought to myself, 'I should bring Kakarot's clothes back to his house, since he was dumb enough to leave them here.'"

"That's the Vegeta I know. So  _loyal_  and  _thoughtful_."

"Shut-up." He thumped the side of Goku's head gently. "Then later I thought, 'That motherfucker took my shoes when he ran off. I'm going over his house to get them back.'"

Goku laughed. "That's better."

"So I'm flying over here, calling your phone, mad as hell…And I realize I forgot to bring your clothes entirely. And I didn't even remember what the shoes you took looked like."

"Okay." Goku trailed a finger across the back of the couch. "What's your point, then?"

He kissed the back of Goku's palm, all elegance, and Goku felt as if he were being courted by true royalty. "My point is that I have  _no_  idea why I really came over here. But I think it has nothing to do with clothes."

Goku was breathless. He wondered if all the events that had just occurred were maybe part of a dream.  _Maybe Vegeta is a dream?_ He closed his eyes and tried to will himself out of possible sleep. "Do you want to," he gulped, " _stay_  with me until you figure out why?"

"I…do. I want to stay with you, and even if it takes forever for me to figure this out, I won't mind."

_He wants…to stay…ah…_

"Kakarot, are you okay?"

_Wants to stay. With ME!_

Vegeta waved his hand back and forth in front of Goku's face. "Are you sleeping? Did you faint?"

"Vegeta…" Goku covered his face. "Do you remember when you said you cried because you were happy?"

Softly, Vegeta said, "Yes. Why?"

"I think I'm starting to cry. Because I'm happy."

"And  _why_  are you happy, Kakarot?"

"Because I love you."

He felt his hands be pushed apart, and light kisses grace both his eyelids. The couch beneath him disappeared as Vegeta pulled him into an embrace. The stiffness in Goku's muscles faded away, leaving him renewed. He stood up, and Vegeta walked behind him to wrap his arms around his waist. He propelled the taller Saiyan forward, across the living room and into the hallway.

"The house is a mess," Goku said. "It'll take forever to fix."

"You have bigger problems." Vegeta pressed open the door to Goku's bedroom. "Your bed is too small."

"I think it fits me perfectly," Goku said with an air of offense.

"I am the Prince of all Saiyans. When I sleep in a bed, it has to be the largest one possible."

"Oh." Goku slid onto the mattress slowly, and felt the cool ocean breeze flowing in through the window. "I hope it'll be okay for now."

* * *

"Bulma.  _Bulma_!"

She woke up, thrashing against the silk sheets of her bed. Annoyed. She removed her nightcap, and gazed out toward the terrace connected to her bedroom. Outside the glass doors stood Vegeta. He looked calm, and was glowing with moonlight pouring over his face and arms. She slid out of bed and opened the doors, a strong gust of wind fleeing inward. "Vegeta, what the hell?!"

He walked into the room and swept his hair back with a gloved hand. Her carpet was plush and red; his boots left small muddy footprints after each step. He sat down on the edge of her bed, and planted his chin in his hands.

"Vegeta, do you know what time it is?!" She looked over at the analog clock sitting on her nightstand. Glowing red and bloody in the dark were numbers indicating two o'clock. "And where have you been all evening?"

"Over Kakarot's house."

Still confused, she studied him closer. Slung over his shoulder was a small duffle bag. Her face became soft. "Going on a trip?"

"Yes. I had to come back here to get some things."

She sat down beside him. He was staring at her intently...wondering. She patted his shoulder. "You aren't coming back, are you?"

"When I need to be here, I'll be here."

She hugged him. "Trunks will be coming back in a few days. I hope. He's still in shock."

He squeezed her gently, and kissed the side of her cheek. "He'll get used to it." He opened his mouth to say something else, but nothing came out. Instead, he embraced her.

"I understand, Vegeta." She pulled away from the hug. "You've never been  _that_ direct."

"Bulma. There's, uh, something else I need cleared up." He rummaged through his duffle bag. "I need you to show me how to text again."

"What?" Bulma pressed her pinkie into the corner of her mouth and chewed on the nail. "What's this about?"

"Look. I think texting is the  _stupidest_  thing in the world. You know this." He pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. In the unlit room it glowed blue. "But I think I may have to use it when the time is right."

"When the time is right, huh?" Bulma asked. "Why are you being so mysterious?"

"I'm not being 'mysterious'. I think what I plan to do makes all the sense in the world. I just choose not to tell you what that plan is."

Bulma shrugged, and led Vegeta through the drop menus and screens on the phone to send a text message. "This all feels very silly," she said to him.

"It is silly. It's absolutely ridiculous. But thank you." He stood up and shoved the phone back into his bag. "I think...this will be the last time I'm in your room."

She smiled up at him, hair in disarray from just waking up, innocent as ever. "That's good. Because I don't like dirt being tracked all across my carpet. Your boots are disgusting."

"What?" His head fell down, and he looked at his shoes. "They are awful, aren't they? I'll go clean them now." He stomped across the carpet, as if emphasizing the fact he  _was_ wearing dirty boots, and walked back onto the terrace. He flew off into the night, melding in with the darkness.

"Asshole," Bulma laughed.

* * *

Goku rose. "Did you hear that noise outside?"

Skin smooth as silk and covering bunched muscle, Vegeta rubbed his bare legs against Goku's. He was lazy and content beneath  _their_  bed sheets. He extended an arm so that it hung off the edge of the bed. "I did hear something, but I don't really care."

 _Maybe. Maybe…_ Quick, Goku was out of bed and pulling his pants back on. "I'm going to go check, okay?" He didn't wait for Vegeta to comment as he barreled out the door of his room, and headed outside. After two weeks, the door still hadn't been fixed. And having been occupied with…other things lately, Goku simply decided to prop it up against the hinges. Annoyed, he dragged the door to the side, and blinding sunlight spilled into the living room. Soon after, the strong scent of fresh flowers drifted through the doorway.

Outside, the world was lit up beautifully. But Goku didn't want to be distracted today. He walked further out onto the lawn, barefoot, and came across a torn bag with its clothes guts strewn across the grass. "Whose stuff is this?"

"Hey, Dad."

Goku looked up. Goten was lying on the lawn a dozen feet away. His clothes were ripped and dirty, and he was barefoot as well, most likely not by choice. Goku raced over to him and pulled him into a hug. "GOTEN!"

"It's so bright out here," Goten mumbled. "Why does it have to be so  _cheery_  so early in the morning?"

"Where did you go?!" Goku rubbed his son's hair. "And why did you come back?"

"I dunno." Goten picked up a few blades of grass, and blew at them so that they twirled in the air. "I went places. And I'm back," he grinned up at Goku's face, "because I was  _told_ to come back."

Goku nodded his head, understanding. " _Finally_."

"Yes. Finally."

Goku pulled him up off the ground, and watched him adjust his legs. He swaggered into the house. "Dad, why is the door off the hinges?"

"I'll explain that later." Goku beamed, and followed Goten back through the living room. Naturally, his son headed into the kitchen.

"Uh, Dad?" Goten scratched the back of his head. "Why is Vegeta here?"

Sitting at the new kitchen table was Vegeta; he was wearing a pair of pants that obviously belonged to Goku due to their bagginess. In front of him was a microwaved bowl of oatmeal, and in his left hand was his cell phone. He rolled his eyes at Goten. "If you care to know, I went through some of your stuff. You have bad taste in pornography."

Goten blushed. "What?!"

"Goten," Goku said, bursting with happiness, "Vegeta is going to be staying with us."

"Oh…Okay." He sat down at the table opposite from Vegeta. "Uh, why?"

"Why?  _Why_?" Vegeta put down his cell to smirk at Goten. "Because I always get what I want."

Goten still looked befuddled—but he took one look at Vegeta's oatmeal and got up from the table to scour the cabinets for food.

_Blip!_

Goku jumped. The sound was faint, but unmistakable. "I'll be right back, guys." He went back to his room, and searched through the pile of clothes on the floor. "Oh, there it is!" He looked at the screen on his phone. "A text? Wha? From—"

 _What in the…_ He felt jittery all of a sudden. He read the text sender's name over and over again, thinking it was some kind of mistake. He pressed a few keys on the phone to open the message.

His hand began to shake. Uncontrollably. The phone fell from his hand and bounced when it hit the floor. His eyes started to water, and soon the world was blurry and  _distorted._

**From: Vegeta**

**I love you too.**

* * *

The End

* * *

 


End file.
